CXCL10+ T cells and NK cells assist in the recruitment and activation of CXCR3+ and CXCL11+ leukocytes during Mycobacteria-enhanced colitis
Singh U.P., Singh, R., Singh, S., Karls R.K., Quinn F.D., Taub, D.D., and J.W. Lillard, Jr. (2008) CXCL10+ T cells and NK cells assist in the recruitment and activation of CXCR3+ and CXCL11+ leukocytes during Mycobacteria-enhanced colitis. BMC Immunol. 9(1): 25.
Abstract
Background: The role of Mycobacteria in the etiology of Crohn’s disease (CD) has been a contentious subject for many years. Recently, our laboratory showed that spontaneous colitis in IL-10-/- mice is driven in part by antigens (Ags) conserved in Mycobacteria. The present study dissects some of the common cellular and molecular mechanism that drive Mycobacteria-mediated and spontaneous colitis in IL-10-/- mice.
Results: We show that serum from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients contain significantly higher levels of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis-specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies (Abs), serum amyloid A (SAA) as well as CXCR3 ligands than serum from healthy donors. To study the cellular mechanisms of Mycobacteria-associated colitis, pathogen-free IL-10-/- mice were given heat-killed or live M. avium paratuberculosis.
The numbers of mucosal T cells, neutrophils, NK/NKT cells that expressed TNFalpha, IFN-gamma, and/or CXCL10 were significantly higher in mice that received live Mycobacteria than other groups. The numbers of mucosal CXCR3+, CXCL9+, CXCL11+ and/or IFN-gamma+ dendritic cells (DCs) were also significantly higher in M. avium paratuberculosis-challenged mice, than compared to control mice.
