Experimental pyelonephritis. The effect of T-cell deficiency on the course of hematogenous enterococcal pyelonephritis in the mouse

• Published in: The American journal of pathology Vol. 115; no. 1; pp. 25 - 30
• Main Authors: Pitchon, H, Glassock, R, Kalmanson, GM, Guze, LB
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD ASIP 01.04.1984; American Society for Investigative Pathology
• Subjects: Agglutination Tests; Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the urinary system; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Enterococcus faecalis; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Infectious diseases; Kidney - pathology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Nude; Pyelonephritis - immunology; Pyelonephritis - microbiology; Pyelonephritis - pathology; Streptococcal Infections - immunology; Streptococcal Infections - pathology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Immunological investigation; Pyelonephritis; Rodentia
• ISSN: 0002-9440; 1525-2191

The course of experimental hematogenous pyelonephritis due to Streptococcus faecalis was compared in athymic (nu/nu) mice and euthymic (nu/+) littermates. Up to 7 weeks following infection, there were no significant differences in renal microbial populations. At 63 and 107-131 days there was significant escalation of infection in nu/nu mice, while the nu/+ mice were decreasing their infections. There was no increase in gross abscess formation in nu/nu mice, but in late stages significantly more gross scarring occurred in nu/nu as compared with nu/+ mice. Microscopically there was also greater scarring in nu/nu mice late in the disease, except for calyceal lesions. The data suggest that immunologic factors (T cells) are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic pyelonephritis.