AI Article Synopsis
- The study examines how activated macrophages help eliminate the bacteria Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, during the early stages of the infection.
- The researchers used RT-PCR to analyze cytokine mRNA in 13 lesion samples from patients with primary and secondary syphilis, finding specific pro-inflammatory cytokines present.
- The absence of certain cytokines, like IL-4 and IL-5, suggests a strong Th1 immune response, indicating that IFN-gamma-activated macrophages are key players in controlling the infection.
Article Abstract
Phagocytosis of Treponema pallidum by cytokine-activated macrophages aids bacterial clearance and lesion resolution in early syphilis. To investigate the cytokine profiles of cells infiltrating primary and secondary syphilis lesions, reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect cytokine mRNA in 13 lesion biopsies. Both primary and secondary lesions contained mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-2, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-12p40, and IL-10. In contrast to a lesion from a patient with recurrent herpes simplex virus type 2, no message for IL-4 could be detected in any of the syphilis lesions, and 10 of 13 had no mRNA for IL-5 or IL-13. These findings are consistent with a Th1-predominant local cellular response activating macrophages and support the hypothesis that IFN-gamma-activated macrophages are primary effectors in treponeme clearance.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/173.2.491 | DOI Listing |
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