Bagasra O, Damjanov I
Infect Immun. 1982 Apr;36(1):176-83. doi: 10.1128/iai.36.1.176-183.1982.
The ability of macrophages to process and present treponemal antigens to T-lymphocytes was studied in early stages of experimental syphilis produced by Treponema pallidum Bosnia A strain (the causative agent of endemic syphilis) infection of inbred Syrian hamsters (LSH/Ss Lak strain). A difference was noticed in the response of macrophages obtained from the peritoneal cavity, lymph nodes, and spleens of the infected animals. In all of these locations, a general increase in the population of Ia(k)-positive macrophage was seen during the entire period of infection, i.e., 3 to 18 weeks after inoculation. Peritoneal cavity-derived macrophages showed no difference in antigen presentation to sensitized and nonsensitized T-lymphocytes for the first 7 weeks of infection. However, at 18 weeks after infection, peritoneal macrophages lost their ability to process treponema antigens. Spleen- and lymph node-derived macrophages did not exhibit a parallel loss in their ability to process treponema antigens. A fluctuation without a consistent pattern was noticed in the antigen processing and presentation by macrophages from the spleen and lymph nodes. In general, the sensitized T-lymphocytes responded to treponema antigen presented by macrophages more vigorously than the nonsensitized T-lymphocytes. An increased ability of spleen-derived macrophages to process and present antigens was noticed throughout the entire period of infection. The macrophages from the lymph nodes showed such an increase only temporarily at 3 weeks after infection. These data suggest that the processing and presentation of treponema antigens by macrophages in acute syphilitic infection fluctuates considerably and depends on the source of macrophages and the duration of the infection. The differences in the response of peritoneal cavity-, spleen-, and lymph node-derived macrophages probably reflect the complex interactions between the macrophage and other cells involved in the immune response to treponema infection.
在由梅毒螺旋体波斯尼亚A株（地方性梅毒的病原体）感染近交系叙利亚仓鼠（LSH/Ss Lak株）所引发的实验性梅毒早期阶段，研究了巨噬细胞处理梅毒螺旋体抗原并将其呈递给T淋巴细胞的能力。在感染动物的腹腔、淋巴结和脾脏中获取的巨噬细胞反应存在差异。在所有这些部位，在整个感染期间，即接种后3至18周，Ia(k)阳性巨噬细胞群体普遍增加。在感染的前7周，腹腔来源的巨噬细胞在向致敏和未致敏T淋巴细胞呈递抗原方面没有差异。然而，在感染后18周，腹腔巨噬细胞失去了处理梅毒螺旋体抗原的能力。脾脏和淋巴结来源的巨噬细胞在处理梅毒螺旋体抗原的能力上没有呈现平行下降。脾脏和淋巴结巨噬细胞在抗原处理和呈递方面出现了无一致模式的波动。一般来说，致敏T淋巴细胞对巨噬细胞呈递的梅毒螺旋体抗原的反应比未致敏T淋巴细胞更强烈。在整个感染期间，脾脏来源的巨噬细胞处理和呈递抗原的能力增强。淋巴结巨噬细胞仅在感染后3周暂时出现这种增强。这些数据表明，急性梅毒感染中巨噬细胞对梅毒螺旋体抗原的处理和呈递波动很大，并且取决于巨噬细胞的来源和感染持续时间。腹腔、脾脏和淋巴结来源的巨噬细胞反应差异可能反映了巨噬细胞与参与梅毒螺旋体感染免疫反应的其他细胞之间的复杂相互作用。
