Coxiella burnetii antigen-stimulated dendritic cells mediated protection against Coxiella burnetii in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of human Q fever. In this study, adaptive transfer of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) stimulated with C. burnetii antigen, phase I whole-cell antigen (PIAg), lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-removed PIAg (PIIAg), protein antigen Com1, or SecB significantly reduced coxiella burden in recipient mice compared with control mice. Mice that received PIIAg-pulsed BMDCs displayed substantially lower coxiella burden than recipient mice of PIAg-pulsed BMDCs after C burnetii challenge. The protection offered by the antigen-activated BMDCs was correlated with the increased proliferation of helper T (TH) TH1 CD4+ cells, preferential development of TH17 cells, and impaired expansion of regulatory T lymphocytes. Our results suggest that PIIAg is far superior to PIAg in activating BMDCs to confer protection against C. burnetii in vivo, whereas Com1 and SecB are protective antigens because Com1- or SecB-pulsed BMDCs confer partial protection. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.