The influence of sex steroid hormones in the immunopathology of experimental pulmonary tuberculosis.

The relation between men and women suffering pulmonary tuberculosis is 7/3 in favor to males. Sex hormones could be a significant factor for this difference, considering that testosterone impairs macrophage activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines production, while estrogens are proinflammatory mediator's inducer. The aim of this work was to compare the evolution of tuberculosis in male and female mice using a model of progressive disease.

Mycobacterium bovis Δmce2 double deletion mutant protects cattle against challenge with virulent M. bovis.

A Mycobacterium bovis strain deleted in mce2A and mce2B genes (M. bovis Δmce2) was tested as an experimental vaccine in cattle challenged with a virulent M. bovis strain.

Protection of Brucella abortus RB51 revaccinated cows, introduced in a herd with active brucellosis, with presence of atypical humoral response.

It is a dogma, that RB51 vaccination does not induce antibodies that interfere with Brucellosis diagnosis, therefore any animal positive to serological test is considered as an infected animal. To determine protection against Brucellosis virulent field strain, 35 pregnant cows from a free-Brucellosis herd, previously vaccinated as calves with 1 x 10(10) CFU of RB51, were revaccinated with RB51 reduced dose, and then introduced into a herd with an active outbreak. Seventeen cows resulted positive in card test after revaccination.