Gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-.ALPHA. and interferon-.GAMMA. in the lungs of Mycoplasma pulmonis-infected mice.

Molecular Biology and Pathogenicity of Mycoplasmas

“…IFN-␥ production was also observed in cultures of human PBMC exposed to M. pneumoniae (13,231) and M. salivarium (231) and probably occurs in cultures of mouse cells exposed to M. arginini (91). In vivo studies revealed enhanced expression of IFN-␥ mRNA in the lungs and spleens of M. pneumoniae-infected mice (336) and in the lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of mice infected with M. pulmonis (122,318). On the other hand, in mice inoculated with viable and nonviable M. arthritidis (91) or with MAM (85), IFN-␥ production was not elicited.…”

“…In addition, mRNAs encoding GM-CSF (336) and the up-regulating cytokine IFN-␥ were detected in lung tissues and in cells present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from animals exposed to M. pneumoniae or M. pulmonis (122,307,318,336). Levels of IL-1␤ in serum (253) and of IFN-␣ in both nasopharyngeal secretions and sera (307) were elevated in most patients infected with M. pneumoniae.…”

“…Although M. pulmonis stimulated IL-2-producing T lymphocytes, cytotoxic T lymphocytes did not develop in response to mitogenic stimulation with M. pulmonis in cultures of rat lymph node cells (309). On the other hand the ability of this Mycoplasma species to augment the activity of NK cells, known producers of IFN-␥ (243), may explain the observed in vivo production of IFN-␥ mRNA (122,318) in cells obtained from lung tissues. As mentioned above, it is doubtful whether T lymphocytes are mitogenically stimulated by M. pneumoniae, and it is still not clear whether M. arginini (397) stimulates T cells.…”

“…In vivo elicitation of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-␣, IL-1␤, and IL-6 occurred following infection of pigs with M. hyopneumoniae (14) and inoculation of mice with either M. pneumoniae (336) or with M. pulmonis (122,318). In addition, mRNAs encoding GM-CSF (336) and the up-regulating cytokine IFN-␥ were detected in lung tissues and in cells present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from animals exposed to M. pneumoniae or M. pulmonis (122,307,318,336).…”

Differential Interleukin-10 and Gamma Interferon mRNA Expression in Lungs of Cilium-Associated Respiratory Bacillus-Infected Mice

“…Type 1 cytokine responses are associated with cell-mediated immunity and are characterized by elevations in IFN-␥ and IL-12; type 2 responses are associated with humoral immunity and are characterized by elevations in IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10. Murine models of respiratory bacterial diseases have demonstrated that disease resistance or susceptibility may be influenced by the cytokine responses (26,32,37,41). For example, IFN-␥ improves the bactericidal activity of macrophages (2), and in the presence of IFN-␥-secreting T cells, Bordetella pertussis-infected mice have enhanced bacterial clearance (17).…”