APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica
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Comparative Study
Early immune response in susceptible and resistant mice strains with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection determines the type of T-helper cell response.
Most cystic fibrosis (CF) patients become chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs. The infection is characterized by a pronounced antibody response and a persistant inflammation dominated by polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Moreover a high antibody response correlates with a poor prognosis. ⋯ At day 3, the C3H/HeN mice produced less NO and TNF-alpha, (p<0.01 and p<0.03) and had the lowest IL-10/IL-12 ratio (p< or =0.05). At day 7, the C3H/HeN mice had the highest IFN-gamma (p<0.02), and the lowest IL-4 (p<0.02) production in the lungs. In conclusion, these results show that the Th1-reacting C3H/HeN mice with chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection have a better disease outcome compared to the Th2-reacting BALB/c mice, indicating that a Th1 response might be beneficial in CF patients with chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection.