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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Protective Efficacy and Pulmonary Immune Response Following Subcutaneous and Intranasal BCG Administration in Mice
Published on: September 19, 2016
The progression of chronic tuberculosis in the mouse does not require the participation of B lymphocytes or
J Turner1, A A Frank, J V Brooks
1Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. jturner@cvmbs.colostate.edu
Abstract:
The aging process is associated with alterations in the immune system. Some of the changes reported are an increase in the proportion of B lymphocytes, and a shift to a TH2-like cytokine environment. It has been hypothesized that the development of immunopathology within the lung during tuberculosis is linked to increased interleukin-4 (IL-4) production. In addition, a role for B cells in maintaining granuloma integrity has been recently proposed. This study investigated the role of B cells and IL-4 during the long-term course of chronic tuberculosis in mice and showed that the course of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the lungs was not influenced by the absence of B lymphocytes or the TH2 cytokine IL-4.
