Immune response triggered by Brucella abortus following infection or vaccination

Brucella abortus live vaccines have been used successfully to control bovine brucellosis worldwide for decades. However, due to some limitations of these live vaccines, efforts are being made for the development of new safer and more effective vaccines that could also be used in other susceptible species. In this context, understanding the protective immune responses triggered by B. abortus is critical for the development of new vaccines. Such understandings will enhance our knowledge of the host/pathogen interactions and enable to develop methods to evaluate potential vaccines and innovative treatments for animals or humans. At present, almost all the knowledge regarding B. abortus specific immunological responses comes from studies in mice. Active participation of macrophages, dendritic cells, IFN-γ producing CD4(+) T-cells and cytotoxic CD8(+) T-cells are vital to overcome the infection. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of the immune responses triggered by vaccination versus infection by B. abortus, in different hosts.