THE CELLS WITH MYCOBACTERIA IN GRANULOMATOUS AGGREGATES FROM MICE WITH LATENT TUBERCULOUS INFECTION IN EX VIVO CULTURE

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of this study was to obtain ex vivo monolayer culture cells migrated from individual granulomas isolated from the spleens of the Balb/c line mice through 1–2 months after BCG vaccine infection. The second goal was to evaluate influence of different types of cells in the development of granulomatic inflammation and analysis of BCG bacteria content in these cells in the latent stage of tuberculosis. Granulomas were presented by macrophages in general. The number of granulomas was varied as in one mouse as between mice. Granulomas contained also dendritic cells (in average 10% from macrophages of granulomas) and lymphocytes. In some granulomas fibroblasts, neutrophils, eosiniphils, multinuclear cells of Pirogov–Langhans, megacariocytes and platelets were observed in all stages of infection. The number of these cells was also varied between granulomas. The acid staining BCG bacteria were only detected in macrophages, dendritic cells and Pirogov–Langhans cells of mice granulomas. Mice were different as by number of cells with BCG bacteria in granulomas as by number of granulomas with BCG-containing cells. The proposed model of granuloma cells of mice in ex vivo culture can be used to study interaction between host cells and mycobacteria to find new ways and methods of influence to intracellular pathogens in latent stage of tuberculosis.

Keywords

• latent tuberculosis
• bacillus calmette-gu rin vaccine
• bcg mycobacteria
• granuloma
• macrophages
• dendritic cells
• langhans giant cells.