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Infection and immunity1999; 67(10); 5041-5047; doi: 10.1128/IAI.67.10.5041-5047.1999

Modulation of cytokine response of pneumonic foals by virulent Rhodococcus equi.

Abstract: The ability of Rhodococcus equi to induce pneumonia in foals depends on the presence of an 85- to 90-kb plasmid. In this study, we evaluated whether plasmid-encoded products mediate virulence by modulating the cytokine response of foals. Foals infected intrabronchially with a virulence plasmid-containing strain of R. equi had similar gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) p35 but significantly higher IL-1beta, IL-10, IL-12 p40, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA expression in lung tissue compared to foals infected with the plasmid-cured derivative. IFN-gamma mRNA expression levels in CD4+ T lymphocytes isolated from bronchial lymph nodes (BLN) were similar for the two groups of R. equi-infected foals on day 3 postinfection. However, on day 14, in association with pneumonia and marked multiplication of virulent R. equi but with complete clearance of the plasmid-cured derivative, IFN-gamma mRNA expression in BLN CD4+ T lymphocytes was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in foals infected with the plasmid-cured derivative. These results suggests an immunomodulating role for R. equi virulence plasmid-encoded products in downregulating IFN-gamma mRNA expression by CD4+ T lymphocytes.
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Publication Date: 1999-09-25 PubMed ID: 10496876PubMed Central: PMC96851DOI: 10.1128/IAI.67.10.5041-5047.1999Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The article examines how the pneumonia-causing bacterium Rhodococcus equi influences the immune response in foals, specifically its ability to modulate cytokine response by encoding unique products on a specific 85-90kb plasmid.

Understanding the Research

  • The research primarily focused on Rhodococcus equi, a bacteria that can cause pneumonia in foals (baby horses). This bacterium is particularly virulent due to the presence of an 85 to 90-kb plasmid, a small, circular unit of DNA that is separate from the bacterial chromosome and carries genes that can confer survival advantages such as resistance to antibiotics.
  • The purpose of the study was to understand if plasmid-encoded products modulate or control the cytokine response in foals. Cytokines are essential cell signaling molecules that aid cell to cell communication in immune responses and stimulate the movement of cells towards sites of inflammation, infection and trauma.

Testing Procedures and Observations

  • Foals were infected intrabronchially (directly into the bronchial tubes) with a strain of R. equi that carried the virulence plasmid. The cytokine response of this group of infected foals was compared with the response of foals infected with a derivative of R. equi that had been cured of the plasmid (i.e., the plasmid was removed;
  • Foals infected with the plasmid-carrying R. equi showed similar levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) p35, but significantly increased levels of IL-1beta, IL-10, IL-12 p40, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). These are all different kinds of cytokines that elicit a diverse range of immune responses.
  • On the third day post-infection, IFN-gamma mRNA expression levels in the CD4+ T lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell essential for immune response) from bronchial lymph nodes were similar in both groups of foals.
  • By the 14th day post-infection, foals infected with the plasmid-cured derivative showed a significantly higher expression of IFN-gamma mRNA. This was despite the complete clearance of the plasmid-cured R. equi and the ongoing presence and multiplication of the virulent strain of the bacterium.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The results suggest that the products encoded by the R. equi virulence plasmid play a role in modulating the immune response by lowering the expression of IFN-gamma mRNA in CD4+ T lymphocytes.
  • The study generates a better understanding for future research into the virulence mechanisms of R. equi and the creation of potential therapies that could harness this modulatory capacity.

Cite This Article

APA
Giguère S, Wilkie BN, Prescott JF. (1999). Modulation of cytokine response of pneumonic foals by virulent Rhodococcus equi. Infect Immun, 67(10), 5041-5047. https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.67.10.5041-5047.1999

Publication

Infection and immunity
ISSN: 0019-9567
NlmUniqueID: 0246127
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 67
Issue: 10
Pages: 5041-5047

Researcher Affiliations

Giguère, S
  • Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
Wilkie, B N
    Prescott, J F

      MeSH Terms

      • Actinomycetales Infections / immunology
      • Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
      • Animals
      • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
      • Cytokines / biosynthesis
      • Cytokines / genetics
      • Horse Diseases / immunology
      • Horses
      • Pneumonia, Bacterial / veterinary
      • RNA, Messenger / analysis
      • Rhodococcus equi / pathogenicity
      • Virulence

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      This article has been cited 16 times.
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