1. Therapeutic effect of IL-12/ms treatment on gonococcal infection depends on both IFN-γ and B cells.
Therapeutic effect of IL-12/ms treatment on gonococcal infection depends on both IFN-γ and B cells. (A) Accelerated clearance of N. gonorrhoeae by treatment with IL-12/ms is abrogated in IFN-γ-deficient (IFN-γ-KO) mice compared to wild-type mice. (Left and middle) Recovery (mean CFU ± SEM; n = 8) of N. gonorrhoeae on vaginal swabs after infection with strain FA1090 in wild-type (left) and IFN-γ-KO (middle) mice. Curves are significantly different (P < 0.01 by ANOVA) comparing treatment with IL-12/ms versus blank ms for wild-type (WT) mice. Curves are not significantly different (NS) for IFN-γ-KO mice. (Right) Percentage of mice remaining infected at each time point. Curves are significantly different (P < by Kaplan-Meier analysis) comparing treatment with IL-12/ms versus blank ms for wild-type mice. Curves are not significantly different (NS) for IFN-γ-KO mice. (B) Accelerated clearance of N. gonorrhoeae by treatment with IL-12/ms is abrogated in B-cell-deficient (µMT) mice compared to wild-type mice. (Left and middle) Recovery (mean CFU ± SEM; n = 8) of N. gonorrhoeae on vaginal swabs after infection with FA1090 in wild-type (left) and µMT (middle) mice. Curves are significantly different (P < 0.01 by ANOVA) comparing treatment with IL-12/ms versus blank ms for wild-type mice. Curves are not significantly different (NS) for µMT mice. (Right) Percentage of mice remaining infected at each time point. Curves are significantly different (P < by Kaplan-Meier analysis) comparing treatment with IL-12/ms versus blank ms for wild-type mice. Curves are not significantly different (NS) for µMT mice. (C and D) Vaginal (C) and serum (D) antibody responses induced by IL-12/ms treatment are diminished in IFN-γ-deficient (IFN-γ-KO) compared to wild-type mice. Values that are significantly different (by Student’s t test) for mice treated with IL-12/ms from values for mice treated with blank ms are indicated as follows: *, P < 0.01; #, P < (E) IFN-γ responses induced by treatment with IL-12/ms are maintained in B-cell-deficient (µMT) mice. Values that are significantly different (P < 0.01 by Student’s t test) comparing treatment with IL-12/ms versus blank ms in both wild-type and µMT mice are indicated by an asterisk.
Yingru Liu et al. mSphere 2018; doi: /mSphere