ARS | Publication request: IMMUNOPATHOLOGY OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE-LIKE SYNDROME OF TCR-ALPHA- DEFICIENT MICE INFECTED WITH CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM AS ADULTS

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 15, 1995
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum causes chronic infection and inflammatory bowel disease-like syndrome in TCR-alpha-deficient mice (genetically deficient in alpha/beta T-cells). A prominent finding is an expansive lymphoid infiltrate within the intestinal mucosa of these mice. In this study, we compared the number of B-cells, gamma/delta T-cells, and alpha/beta T-cells within the mucosa of C57BL-6, TCR-alpha-deficient and TCR-delta-deficient mice (genetically deficient in gamma/delta T- cells) which were challenged as adults with C. parvum. We found that there are significantly increased numbers of B-cells and gamma/delta T-cells within the mucosa of chronically infected TCR-alpha-deficient mice as compared with the other groups. We also assessed the enterocyte proliferation rate of these three groups by immunostaining cecal sections with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). C. parvum-infected TCR- alpha-deficient mice had significantly increased numbers of PCNA-staining cecal crypt enterocytes as compared with the other groups. Thus, TCR- alpha-deficient mice chronically infected with C. parvum have increased numbers of B-cells and gamma/delta T-cells within their intestinal mucosa, and have increased proliferation rates of cecal crypt enterocytes.