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Effect macrophage activation on infection with Treponema pallidum
Infection and Immunity
|September 1, 1975
Summary
Infection with Treponema pallidum (syphilis) did not improve resistance in rabbits, even when they had acquired cellular resistance (ACR) to Listeria. Macrophage activation may not be key to controlling syphilis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Acquired cellular resistance (ACR) confers resistance to secondary infections.
- Cellular mechanisms typically control infections that induce ACR.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if ACR induction in rabbits enhances resistance against Treponema pallidum (syphilis).
Main Methods:
- Rabbits were infected with BCG to induce ACR and then challenged with T. pallidum.
- Lesion development and dissemination were compared between BCG-infected and control rabbits.
Main Results:
- BCG-infected rabbits showed no enhanced resistance to T. pallidum challenge.
- Syphilitic lesions appeared and progressed similarly in both groups.
- BCG-infected rabbits exhibited wider lesion dissemination, while controls showed faster necrosis.
Conclusions:
- Syphilis infection appears to induce ACR, but this does not significantly enhance the host's ability to suppress T. pallidum.
- Macrophages may be unable to effectively phagocytose T. pallidum or may not be activated locally in the dermis during syphilitic infection.