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A 'safe-site' for Salmonella typhimurium is within splenic polymorphonuclear cells
N E Dunlap1, W H Benjamin, A K Berry
1Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
Microbial Pathogenesis
|September 11, 1992
Summary
Salmonella typhimurium infection primarily targets the liver and spleen. Most surviving bacteria are intracellular, predominantly within polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) in the spleen.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Salmonella typhimurium infection concentrates in the liver and spleen.
- Most surviving Salmonella are intracellular and protected from killing.
- Previous research indicates intracellular Salmonella are the majority of survivors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the specific cell type harboring intracellular Salmonella in the spleen.
Main Methods:
- Enrichment of Salmonella-containing cells using Ficoll-Hypaque separation.
- Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for cell identification.
- Microscopic examination of sorted cell populations.
Main Results:
- Approximately 85% of intracellular Salmonella were located in Mac-1+/J-11d+ cell fractions.
- Microscopic analysis confirmed virtually all intracellular Salmonella reside within polymorphonuclear cells (PMN).
- PMN from the spleen contained varying numbers of Salmonella, with more bacteria in cells from the Ficoll pellet.
Conclusions:
- Polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) are the primary host cells for intracellular Salmonella typhimurium in the spleen.
- The spleen's PMN population plays a significant role in the intracellular survival of Salmonella.