Macrophage control of Brucella abortus: influence of cytokines and iron.

Brucella abortus is a facultative intracellular bacterium that can infect and replicate in mononuclear phagocytes. Recent work has elucidated the role of cytokines in activating macrophages to inhibit the intracellular replication of brucellae, and in recruiting macrophages to the site of infection in vivo. There is also evidence that iron increases the ability of cytokine-activated macrophages to control intracellular brucellae by mechanisms involving reactive oxygen intermediates.