Open AccessCoxiella burnetii infection in C57BL/6 mice aged 1 or 14 months
Author(s) -
Leone Marc,
Bechah Yassina,
Meghari Soraya,
Lepidi Hubert,
Capo Christian,
Raoult Didier,
Mege JeanLouis
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.2007.00272.x
Subject(s) - coxiella burnetii , q fever , biology , immunology , macrophage , spleen , rickettsiaceae , rickettsia , granuloma , rickettsiales , pathophysiology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , endocrinology , in vitro , virus , biochemistry , genetics
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of age on infection with Coxiella burnetii , the agent of Q fever. Bacterial burden and granuloma number were increased in the spleens of 14‐month‐old as compared with 1‐month‐old mice. This increase was not the result of an anti‐inflammatory macrophage response, because inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines were induced in macrophages from young mice but were repressed in mature mice. In addition, macrophage microbicidal competence was similar in mature and young mice. These results suggest the importance of individual host factors in the pathophysiology of an infectious disease such as Q fever.