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Murine chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis: induction by human uveitis mycoplasma-like organisms
L Johnson1, E Wirostko, B Wirostko
1Department of Pathology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York.
Abstract:
Mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO) are non-cultivated intracellular cell wall deficient pathogenic bacteria with a distinctive ultrastructural appearance. Diagnosis of MLO disease rests on finding the organisms in parasitized cells using a transmission electron microscope. MLO are a well studied cause of transmissible chronic plant vascular disease responsive to antibiotics. MLO have recently been found to cause human chronic progressive ophthalmic disease including uveitis. In human uveitis MLO are readily found within parasitized intraocular fluid leucocytes. Inoculation of human uveitis MLO into mouse eyelids produced a high incidence of chronic progressive ophthalmic disease including uveitis. MLO also disseminated to produce randomly distributed lethal systemic inflammatory disease. MLO parasitized leucocytes and microvascular alterations were found in the disease sites by electron microscopy. This report describes the chronic progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis in 12 of 100 human uveitis MLO eyelid inoculated mice versus 0 in 200 control mice (p < 0.0001). MLO parasitized leucocytes accompanied by tubular and microvascular alterations were found by electron microscopy in all 12 inflamed kidneys versus 0 of 4 control kidneys. Pathobiology of the MLO-induced murine nephritis, resemblance of this nephritis to human idiopathic chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis, bacterial molecular biology, and antibiotic therapy of MLO disease are discussed.
Insights
Mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO) cause chronic inflammation and disease in mice, including tubulointerstitial nephritis. This finding suggests a potential link between MLO and human kidney disease, warranting further investigation into bacterial pathobiology and antibiotic treatments.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pathology
- Immunology
Background:
- Mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO) are intracellular bacteria causing plant diseases and recently identified in human uveitis.
- Diagnosis relies on transmission electron microscopy due to MLO's non-cultivated nature.
- MLO are known to cause chronic, antibiotic-responsive plant vascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathobiology of Mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO) in a murine model.
- To determine if MLO inoculation can induce chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis.
- To explore the potential link between MLO and human idiopathic chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis.
Main Methods:
- Human uveitis MLO were inoculated into mouse eyelids.
- Ophthalmic, systemic, and renal tissues were examined using transmission electron microscopy.
- Incidence of nephritis in inoculated mice was compared to control groups.
Main Results:
- 12% of MLO-inoculated mice developed chronic progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis.
- MLO-parasitized leucocytes and microvascular alterations were observed in inflamed kidneys.
- No nephritis was observed in control mice.
Conclusions:
- MLO inoculation in mice induces chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis with pathological similarities to human disease.
- MLO are implicated as a causative agent in a novel form of murine nephritis.
- Further research into MLO pathobiology and antibiotic therapies is warranted.