Mycobacterium-Host Cell Relationships in Granulomatous Lesions in a Mouse Model of Latent Tuberculous Infection

Figure 7

A comparison of the granulomas (Gran) isolated from mouse spleens after 20 days (Gran/20 d), one month (Gran/1 m), and two months (Gran/2 m) following infection with the BCG vaccine in vivo and several days in ex vivo culture. (a) The number of Gran containing macrophages (Mph) with acid-fast BCG-mycobacteria (BCG) is expressed as a percentage of the total number of Gran assayed. (b) The number of infected macrophages expressed as a percentage of the total number of macrophages in Gran with infected macrophages or () in Gran with Mph containing BCG cords. (c) The number of BCG per granuloma macrophage calculated as the number of BCG in the macrophages relative to the total number of infected granuloma macrophages (dark bars) or the total number of granuloma macrophages (white bars) (see text for details). (d) The number of Gran containing Mph with different BCG numbers expressed as a percentage of the total number of Gran with infected Mph. (e) The number of macrophages with different numbers of BCG in Gran expressed as a percentage of the total number of infected macrophages in granulomas. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM. (Gran/20 d versus Gran/1 m or Gran/20 d versus Gran/2 m), (Gran/1 m versus Gran/2 m). Data relate to (a) Gran/20 d (2 mice, ), Gran/1 m (4 mice, ), Gran/2 m (14 mice, ), and ((b)–(e)) Gran/20 d (2 mice, ), Gran/1 m (4 mice, ), and Gran/2 m (14 mice, ).

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