Telford S R, Dawson J E
Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA 02115, USA.
Vet Microbiol. 1996 Sep;52(1-2):103-12. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(96)00064-8.
Description of the pathobiology of the recently described zoonotic agent of human ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis) would be greatly facilitated by the availability of a convenient experimental animal model of infection. We determined whether C3H/HeJ mice could sustain persistent infection by this predominantly monocyte-inhabiting rickettsia. Such mice rapidly produced an intense specific IgG response upon inoculation of ehrlichiae, and high titers were demonstrable for more than 6 months thereafter. Ehrlichiae were reisolated from the peripheral blood and spleen of 1 mouse at day 11 after inoculation. DNA of E. chaffeensis was more frequently detected within these tissues by polymerase chain reaction. Other candidate rodent models appeared to be poor hosts for this pathogen. About half of intact and virtually all splenectomized white-footed mice that were inoculated seroconverted. Sera from inoculated voles and hamsters did not react to antigens of E. chaffeensis. The C3H/Hej mouse becomes persistently infected by this rickettsia, and may serve as a useful model for studies of the immune response to the agent of human ehrlichiosis.
一种方便的感染实验动物模型将极大地促进对最近描述的人类埃立克体病（查菲埃立克体）人畜共患病原体病理生物学的描述。我们确定了C3H/HeJ小鼠是否能被这种主要寄居于单核细胞的立克次氏体持续感染。接种埃立克体后，此类小鼠迅速产生强烈的特异性IgG反应，此后6个多月内均可检测到高滴度。接种后第11天，从1只小鼠的外周血和脾脏中再次分离出埃立克体。通过聚合酶链反应在这些组织中更频繁地检测到查菲埃立克体的DNA。其他候选啮齿动物模型似乎对此病原体而言是较差的宿主。接种的完整白足鼠约一半以及几乎所有脾切除的白足鼠出现血清转化。接种田鼠和仓鼠的血清不与查菲埃立克体抗原发生反应。C3H/Hej小鼠被这种立克次氏体持续感染，可作为研究对人类埃立克体病病原体免疫反应的有用模型。
