Open AccessInteractions ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaewith Mature Human Macrophage Opacity Proteins Influence Production of Proinflammatory Cytokines
Author(s) -
Benjamin B.L. Makepeace,
P. J. Watt,
John E. Heckels,
Myron Christodoulides
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
infection and immunity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.508
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1070-6313
pISSN - 0019-9567
DOI - 10.1128/iai.69.3.1909-1913.2001
Subject(s) - proinflammatory cytokine , biology , neisseria gonorrhoeae , macrophage inflammatory protein , secretion , microbiology and biotechnology , macrophage , tumor necrosis factor alpha , cytokine , immunology , interleukin 6 , interleukin , inflammation , in vitro , biochemistry
The pathological features of ascending gonococcal infection suggest that proinflammatory mediators secreted by tissue-resident macrophages are important components of the host response. Challenge of fully differentiated, mature macrophages with variants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain P9 or purified bacterial surface components (pili, lipooligosaccharide, and outer membrane vesicles) induced the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha, growth-related protein alpha, macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha (MIP-1alpha), and RANTES cytokines but had no effect on IL-8 production. No secretion of IL-1beta, epithelial-derived neutrophil attractant 78, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-10, or IL-12 cytokines was observed. Notably, the P9-Opa(b) protein, in comparison to P9-Opa(a), increased the association of gonococci with macrophages and elevated the secretion of cytokines. Thus, variation in Opa protein expression by the gonococcus may be a determining factor in the severity of pelvic inflammatory disease.