Differences between Mycobacterium-Host Cell Relationships in Latent Tuberculous Infection of Mice Ex Vivo and Mycobacterial Infection of Mouse Cells In Vitro

Figure 11

Macrophages (Mph), dendritic cells (DC), fibroblasts (Fibr), and lymphocytes (Lym) with cell-surface markers CD1d, CD25, CD31, and CD35. The objects examined are control peritoneal macrophages and splenic fibroblasts from three intact mice, peritoneal and bone marrow macrophages obtained from two mice on day 20 following intraperitoneal infection with the BCG vaccine (Per-Mph-20 d and BM-Mph-20 d, resp.), peritoneal macrophages obtained from mouse 25 after two months following intraperitoneal infection with the BCG vaccine (Per-Mph-2 m), mouse bone marrow macrophages following infection with the BCG vaccine in vitro and after culture for several hours (BM-Mph-24 h and BM-Mph-48 h), and granulomas (Gran) from the spleens of two to four mice after 20 days (Gran/20 d), one month (Gran/1 m), and two months (Gran/2 m) following BCG infection in vivo and ex vivo culture for several hours. Granuloma cells producing various surface antigens were analyzed in each granuloma separately; the values were averaged for all the mice and then combined for granulomas in each group. In each experiment, more than 1000 cells were analyzed at each time point. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM. (comparisons of the number of CD-positive macrophages in each Gran group and controls, BM-Mph-24 h, BM-Mph-48 h, Per-Mph-20 d, BM-Mph-20 d, and Per-Mph-2 m).