Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1978 Nov;22(2):411–417. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.2.411-417.1978

Suppression of cellular immune responses in guinea pigs infected with spotted fever group rickettsiae.

C N Oster, R H Kenyon, C E Pedersen Jr
PMCID: PMC422171  PMID: 730362

Abstract

Using a guinea pig model, we demonstrated that infections with pathogenic species of spotted fever group rickettsiae transiently and nonspecifically suppress established cellular immune responses as measured by in vitro lymphocyte transformation and in vivo delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity responses to unrelated, nonrickettsial antigens. The correlation of the duration of this immunosuppression with the virulence of the infecting rickettsial species suggests that this suppression is a pathological effect of the rickettsial infection. Although we did not specifically study the mechanism of this suppression, it is not associated with either lymphocytopenia or leukocytosis.

Full text

PDF
415

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bullock W. E., Carlson E. M., Gershon R. K. The evolution of immunosuppressive cell populations in experimental mycobacterial infection. J Immunol. 1978 May;120(5):1709–1716. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Diamond R. D., Bennett J. E. Disseminated cryptococcosis in man: decreased lymphocyte transformation in response to Cryptococcus neoformans. J Infect Dis. 1973 Jun;127(6):694–697. doi: 10.1093/infdis/127.6.694. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dolin R., Richman D. D., Murphy B. R., Fauci A. S. Cell-mediated immune responses in humans after induced infection with influenza A virus. J Infect Dis. 1977 May;135(5):714–719. doi: 10.1093/infdis/135.5.714. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eardley D. D., Jayawardena A. N. Suppressor cells in mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei. J Immunol. 1977 Sep;119(3):1029–1033. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ganguly R., Cusumano C. L., Waldman R. H. Suppression of cell-mediated immunity after infection with attenuated rubella virus. Infect Immun. 1976 Feb;13(2):464–469. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.2.464-469.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Heilman D. H., McFarland W. Inhibition of tuberculin-induced mitogenesis in cultures of lymphocytes from tuberculous donors. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1966;30(1):58–66. doi: 10.1159/000229793. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Heiss L. I., Palmer D. L. Anergy in patients with leukocytosis. Am J Med. 1974 Mar;56(3):323–332. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(74)90614-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Huang S. W., Lattos D. B., Nelson D. B., Reeb K., Hong R. Antibody-associated lymphotoxin in acute infection. J Clin Invest. 1973 May;52(5):1033–1040. doi: 10.1172/JCI107268. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kenyon R. H., Ascher M. S., Kishimoto R. A., Pedersen C. E., Jr In vitro guinea pig leukocyte reactions to Rickettsia rickettsii. Infect Immun. 1977 Dec;18(3):840–846. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.3.840-846.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kenyon R. H., Canonico P. G., Sammons L. S., Bagley L. R., Pedersen C. E., Jr Antibody response to Rocky Mountain spotted fever. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 May;3(5):513–518. doi: 10.1128/jcm.3.5.513-518.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LACKMAN D. B., BELL E. J., STOENNER H. G., PICKENS E. G. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER GROUP OF RICKETTSIAS. Health Lab Sci. 1965 Jul;2:135–141. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mangi R. J., Munyer T. P., Krakowka S., Jacoby R. O., Kantor F. S. A canine distemper model of virus-induced anergy. J Infect Dis. 1976 May;133(5):556–563. doi: 10.1093/infdis/133.5.556. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Marker S. C., Ascher M. S. Specific in vitro lymphocyte transformation with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Cell Immunol. 1976 Apr;23(1):32–38. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(76)90169-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Moe J. B., Mosher D. F., Kenyon R. H., White J. D., Stookey J. L., Bagley L. R., Fine D. P. Functional and morphologic changes during experimental Rocky Mountain spotted fever in guinea pigs. Lab Invest. 1976 Sep;35(3):235–245. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nelson D. S., Gatti R. A. Humoral factors influencing lymphocyte transformation. Prog Allergy. 1976;21:261–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nelson D. S., Penrose J. M., Waters M. F., Pearson J. M., Nelson M. Depressive effect of serum from patients with leprosy on mixed lymphocyte reactions. Influence of anti-leprosy treatment. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Dec;22(3):385–392. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Newberry W. M., Jr, Chandler J. W., Jr, Chin T. D., Kirkpatrick C. H. Immunology of the mycoses. I. Depressed lymphocyte transformation in chronic histoplasmosis. J Immunol. 1968 Feb;100(2):436–443. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Oster C. N., Burke D. S., Kenyon R. H., Ascher M. S., Harber P., Pedersen C. E., Jr Laboratory-acquired Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The hazard of aerosol transmission. N Engl J Med. 1977 Oct 20;297(16):859–863. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197710202971604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pavia C. S., Folds J. D., Baseman J. B. Depression of lymphocyte response to concanavalin A in rabbits infected with Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain). Infect Immun. 1976 Jul;14(1):320–322. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.1.320-322.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pedersen C. E., Jr, Bagley L. R., Kenyon R. H., Sammons L. S., Burger G. T. Demonstration of Rickettsia rickettsii in the rhesus monkey by immune fluorescence microscopy. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 Aug;2(2):121–125. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pierce C. W., Kapp J. A., Wood D. D., Benacerraf B. Immune responses in vitro. X. Functions of macrophages. J Immunol. 1974 Mar;112(3):1181–1189. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Romball C. G., Weigle W. O. Splenic role in the regulation of immune responses. Cell Immunol. 1977 Dec;34(2):376–384. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(77)90259-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Russell A. S., Maini R. A., Bailey M., Dumonde D. C. Cell-mediated immunity to Varicella-Zoster antigen in acute Herpes zoster (shingles). Clin Exp Immunol. 1973 Jun;14(2):181–185. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. STOENNER H. G., LACKMAN D. B., BELL E. J. Factors affecting the growth of rickettsias of the spotted fever group in fertile hens' eggs. J Infect Dis. 1962 Mar-Apr;110:121–128. doi: 10.1093/infdis/110.2.121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Salaman M. H. Immunodepression by mammalian viruses and plasmodia. Proc R Soc Med. 1970 Jan;63(1):11–15. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Scott M. T. Biological effects of the adjuvant Corynebacterium parvum. I. Inhibition of PHA, mixed lymphocyte and GVH reactivity. Cell Immunol. 1972 Nov;5(3):459–468. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(72)90072-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Stobo J. D. Immunosuppression in man: suppression by macrophages can be mediated by interactions with regulatory T cells. J Immunol. 1977 Sep;119(3):918–924. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Taniguchi M., Miller J. F. Specific suppression of the immune response by a factor obtained from spleen cells of mice tolerant to human gamma-globulin. J Immunol. 1978 Jan;120(1):21–26. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. de Brito T., Hoshino-Shimizu S., Pereira M. O., Rigolon N. The pathogenesis of the vascular lesions in experimental rickettsial disease of the guinea pig (Rocky Mountain Spotted fever group). A light, immunofluorescent and electron microscopic study. Virchows Arch A Pathol Pathol Anat. 1973;358(3):205–214. doi: 10.1007/BF00543228. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES