Abstract
Nonimmune mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes exhibited elevated expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) mRNA and the enhanced migration of Mac-1 antigen-positive bone marrow-derived mononuclear phagocytes (BMMP) to their livers. Treatment with monoclonal anti-M-CSF antibody diminished the traffic of BMMP and promoted the replication of listeriae. Immune animals infected with listeriae expressed significantly lower levels of M-CSF mRNA than did nonimmune animals. Moreover, listerial infections did not elicit the migration of BMMP to the livers of immune mice, nor did anti-M-CSF affect the capacity of immune animals to respond to infection. Adoptive immunization experiments suggest that T lymphocytes can mediate protective immunity to listeriae in the absence of M-CSF and migrating BMMP. These findings indicate that M-CSF and the enhanced migration of BMMP are critical factors in primary but not secondary host defenses to listerial infections.
Published Version
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