The mammalian immune system has developed diverse strategies to protect the gastrointestinal tract, as this tissue locale represents a huge absorptive surface and is susceptible to microbial breach. Paradoxically, one key aspect of this protective strategy is the maintenance of selected commensal microorganisms. These commensals serve essential roles in digestion, interfere with pathogenic microbial invasion and stimulate development of the host immune system. Therefore, immune responses which deplete these commensal populations are detrimental to the host. One effective intestinal immune response which selectively promotes the survival of commensals is production of antibodies of the IgA isotype which bind to bacteria without triggering inflammatory cytokines. Proteins of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family such as Lymphotoxin and BAFF contribute to the induction of IgA responses. Lymphotoxin is required for generation and organization of most organized lymphoid tissues, where B cell differentiation occurs, while BAFF is necessary for B cell survival and induces B cells to produce IgA. In this thesis, I describe work I have done in examining the roles of the TNF family members Lymphotoxin, BAFF and two related TNF family member cytokines, LIGHT and APRIL, in the regulation of IgA production in mice and in humans. Specifically, LIGHT over-expression drives immense production of IgA, leading to renal deposition of immune complexes in mice. Similar to LIGHT, BAFF over-expression drives increases in IgA production in the intestine, however I have shown that the effects of the BAFF pathway on IgA hyper-production are independent of LIGHT activity. Secondly, examining the phenotype of BAFF-over-expressing mice, I have shown that this phenotype resembles human IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and is dependent on intestinal commensals. Finally, I have described a lymphotoxin-dependent chemokine system in the intestinal lamina propria that could be responsible for organizing cells for the development of IgA responses in this mucosal site.

Durant certes situacions catabòliques, com el càncer o la sèpsia entre d'altres, es dóna un fet comú que és la pèrdua de massa muscular. En el nostre grup d'investigació s'ha estudiat en profunditat el desgast muscular associat a la síndrome de la caquèxia. Així, s'ha identificat el sistema proteolític dependent d'ATP i ubiquitina com a mecanisme que participa en l'activació de la proteòlisi muscular. A més, s'han identificat determinades citocines, particularment el TNF-alfa, elements promotors del desenvolupament de la síndrome de la caquèxia cancerosa.L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi doctoral ha estat aprofundir en el coneixement dels mecanismes responsables de la pèrdua de massa muscular en diversos estats patològics. En concret, el paper del TNF-alfa en la caquèxia cancerosa, sèpsia i MPOC (malaltia pulmonar obstructiva crònica) i el possible potencial terapèutic de la citocina anabòlica IL-15.Les aproximacions experimentals utilitzades han estat les següents: d'una banda, per l'estudi de la caquèxia cancerosa, vàrem utilitzar el model tumoral de l'hepatoma ascític Yoshida AH-130 en rata, i biòpsies musculars de pacients amb càncer de pàncrees. Per altra banda, també s'han utilitzat biòpsies musculars de malalts MPOC. Així mateix, es va emprar un model de sèpsia en rata.D'aquest estudi es va concloure:1. En la síndrome de la caquexia s'observa una pèrdua de proteïna muscular alhora que un procés apoptòtic actiu mesurat com a fragmentació del DNA. Aquest darrer fet ha estat demostrat en dues situacions patològiques on es dóna aquesta síndrome: càncer (model de l'hepatoma Yoshida AH-130 i càncer de pàncrees humà) i sèpsia.2. El TNF-alfa està implicat en la inducció de l'apoptosi en múscul esquelètic donat que el tractament amb rolipram reverteix parcialment la fragmentació del DNA observada en rates sèptiques.3. L'augment de l'expressió muscular dels receptors de TNF-alfa així com l'increment de la relació Bax/Bcl-2 (detectat en càncer experimental) serien mecanismes implicats en la inducció de l'apoptosi i indicarien una major sensibilitat del múscul esquelètic a les accions catabòliques del TNF-alfa.4. En el model experimental de caquèxia cancerosa s'observa un increment de la carbonilació de proteïna muscular, alhora que un augment en el contingut de iNOS i de les UCPs. Aquests fets posen de manifest que el múscul esquelètic pateix estrés oxidatiu durant el procés de caquèxia.5. Els malalts MPOC presenten uns nivells musculars de glutatió reduït (GSH) inferiors als individus sans, fet que és més acusat a mesura que disminueix l'índex de massa corporal. En aquests malalts s'observa un augment de l'expressió muscular de la gamma-GCS que podria actuar com a mecanisme compensatori dels baixos nivells de GSH. L'estrés oxidatiu muscular detectat en malalts MPOC podria ser el responsable de l'augment de l'expressió gènica de TNF-alfa observada a múscul esquelètic.6. En individus sans, el programa d'entrenament millora el seu estat rèdox muscular mentre que en malalts MPOC no es millora sino que l'estrés oxidatiu muscular és més acusat.7. La IL-15 es comporta clarament com una citocina anabòlica a nivell de múscul esquelètic exercint les següents accions: reverteix la degradació proteica i bloqueja l'apoptosi.8. Els mecanismes associats a les accions terapèutiques de la IL-15 es podrien explicar a nivell de la normalització de l'expressió dels receptors de TNF-alfa i a la inhibició de l'activació del sistema proteolític dependent d'ATP i ubiquitina a múscul esquelètic alhora que disminueix la proteïna iNOS i augmenta l'expressió de UCP2 i UCP3 contrarrestant l'estrés oxidatiu en aquest teixit.

Mannose binding lectin (MBL) belongs to the collectin family of soluble pattern recognition molecules that elicit diverse biologic activities. Via multiple carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRD), MBL binds to mannose and N-acetyl-glucosamine oligosaccharides present on the surface of bacteria, fungi and yeast. Following pathogen recognition, MBL activates the complement system via MBL associated serine proteases in a manner independent of antibody and C1 complex. Deficiency in function and level of MBL is found in 25% of otherwise apparently healthy individuals, representing the most prevalent innate immune deficiency. MBL deficiency is a risk factor for the development of infections in humans and mice. The role of MBL as a modulator of infection is complex. MBL deficiency may influence proinflammatory cytokine production, expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, or vascular damage, during the course of infection. Given that dendritic cells (DC) are antigen presenting cells (APC) with potent capacity to respond to microbial stimulation, I hypothesized that MBL deficiency may be reflected in DC functions associated with microbial stimulation. Initially, I investigated the association of MBL with human immune cells and demonstrated that in both MBL-Sufficient (MBL-S) and MBL-Deficient (MBL-D) individuals, MBL was particularly associated with monocytes. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated MBL was not transcribed by monocytes or other immune cells investigated (T, B, and NK cells, CD11c+DC, immature monocyte derived DC [MoDC], LPS matured MoDC, and granulocytes), suggesting MBL association with the cell surface may be via an adapter or co-receptor. Magnetically separated monocytes but not MoDC bound exogenous purified human plasma MBL (hpMBL). Addition of hpMBL (5 -15 µg/mL) did not induce MoDC activation, and MBL added together with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not induce MoDC activation above the level induced by LPS only. In the second part of this study, I used the particulate MBL ligand zymosan (Zy) as a pathogenic stimulus in a whole blood model to gain a greater understanding of the consequences of MBL deficiency. I compared surface phenotype, inflammatory cytokine production and antigen presenting capacity of blood myeloid (M)DC of MBL-D and MBL-S individuals following stimulation with Zy and MBL opsonised Zy (MBL-Zy). Blood MDC in MBL-D individuals, unlike their counterpart in MBL-S individuals, displayed unique functional characteristics, including higher production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-, but poor capacity for allo-T cell effector cell induction. It appeared that stimulation with MBL-Zy reduced elevated production of IL-6 but not TNF- by blood MDC in MBL-D individuals. In the third part, expression microarray analysis was utilised to provide broad information on the genes and potential signalling pathways involved in the MDC responses in MBL-D and MBL-S individuals following stimulation with Zy and MBL-Zy. MBL-S individuals demonstrated greater capacity to induce T cell and NK cell signalling pathways than MBL-D individuals. Further, MBL acted as a regulator of important inflammatory molecules, namely T-cell receptor zeta (CD247), IFN-γ and perforin 1. The data presented in this study provides novel information on blood MDC function in MBL-S and MBL-D individuals in response to pathogen stimulation, and provided insight into mechanisms involved in the increased frequency of infection observed in MBL-D individuals.

[Truncated abstract] Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in a range of biological functions including the differentiation, proliferation and survival of many cell types. The TNF gene lies in the class III region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), approximately 250 Kbp centromeric of the HLA-B locus and 850 Kbp telomeric of HLA-DR. Due to the genomic location and biological relevance of TNF, it is thought that genetic heterogeneity at this locus may be associated with autoimmune and infectious diseases. A G-to-A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position -308 (relative to the transcriptional start site) in the TNF promoter has been well described. The less common -308A variant has been shown to be linked with the HLA-A1, B8, DR3 haplotype which in turn has been associated to a high TNF producing phenotype. Determining whether the -308 polymorphism contributes to elevated levels of expression has therefore been a priority for many research groups. Some investigators have shown differences in transcription between the -308G and -308A alleles while others could not. These contradicting results have led to conflicting views regarding the functional relevance of the -308 SNP. In this study, statistical analysis of 18 independent transient transfections of -308 biallelic TNF reporter constructs have provided evidence for a functional consequence of the polymorphism. ... In addition, chromatin accessibility of this region was maximal at greater levels of transcription suggesting a role for both chromatin structure and YY1 binding in -308G regulation. Surprisingly, chromatin structure did not seem to play a role in -308A regulation nor was there any significant binding of YY1, suggesting the -308 region does not affect transcriptional control of TNF. Taken as a whole, the G-to-A SNP relieves YY1 binding and demonstrates an allele-specific regulatory mechanism controlling expression. A growing list of promoter polymorphisms exists in the human genome having associations with certain diseases. Determining the functional consequence of these SNPs has proven difficult and utilized mainly in vitro approaches. In this thesis, a unique approach to investigating the functionality of promoter polymoprhisms has been developed, utilizing in vivo techniques which test their effects in a more natural system. It is hoped that the identification of the allele-specific YY1-mediated control of the -308 region of the TNF promoter may provide insight into overexpression as a consequence of the polymorphism and its role in the genetic susceptibility to MHC-associated autoimmune disease.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, May, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-168).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-10-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:03:37Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 michelin_af_dr_jabo.pdf: 583485 bytes, checksum: 8655fd78317ab77631a7e5c9a5fdbdb3 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A leishmaniose visceral canina é causada pela Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi que é transmitida por flebotomíneos. A evolução clínica desta parasitose depende de uma complexa interação entre o parasita e a resposta imune do hospedeiro. Os cães infectados, que constituem o principal reservatório doméstico desse parasita, podem permanecer assintomáticos ou tornarem-se sintomáticos. O objetivo deste estudo foi quantificar as citocinas TNF- IL-4 e IL-10, em extratos de baço e fígado, de cães naturalmente infectados por L. (L.) chagasi e investigar a ocorrência de associação com a densidade parasitária nestes órgãos. Quarenta cães provenientes da cidade de Araçatuba, estado de São Paulo, área endêmica para leishmaniose visceral canina, soropositivos para L. (L.) chagasi, de acordo com ELISA indireto, foram divididos em dois grupos com 20 cães assintomáticos e 20 sintomáticos, com pelo menos três sinais da doença. Um grupo de 12 cães saudáveis, provenientes de área não endêmica, soronegativos para Leishmania spp., testados por ELISA indireto e que não apresentaram amplificação do DNA para L. (L.) chagasi, fizeram parte do grupo controle negativo. Após eutanásia dos cães, os fragmentos de baço e fígado foram coletados para a quantificação das citocinas, através de ELISA de captura, e determinação da densidade parasitária por PCR em tempo real. Nos animais infectados, os níveis de TNF- , IL-4 e IL-10, no baço e no fígado, foram superiores aos dos animais do grupo controle. A comparação entre os dois órgãos, nos cães infectados, mostrou que o fígado foi o principal produtor dessas citocinas. O nível de TNF- e a densidade de parasitas, no fígado, foram mais elevados nos cães sintomáticos, quando comparado com os cães... / Canine visceral leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi that is transmitted by phlebotominae. The clinical evolution of this parasitosis depends on a complex interaction between the parasite and the immune response in the host. Infected dogs, the main domestic reservoir of this parasite, may remain asymptomatic or may become symptomatic. The aim of this study was to quantify the TNF-, IL-4, and IL-10 cytokines in spleen and liver extracts from asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs naturally infected with L. (L.) chagasi and to investigate the association with the parasite density in these organs. A total of 40 dogs from the city of Araçatuba, São Paulo state (an endemic area for canine visceral leishmaniasis), all L. (L.) chagasi positive according to indirect ELISA, were divided into two groups, each containing of 20 asymptomatic dogs and 20 symptomatic dogs presenting at least three signs of the disease. A group of 12 healthy dogs from the non endemic area and negative for Leishmania spp, as indicated by indirect ELISA, and PCR negative for L. (L.) chagasi, were used as negative controls. After euthanasia, fragments from the spleen or liver were collected to quantify the cytokines, with ELISA capture assay, and to check parasite density by real time PCR. In infected dogs, the levels of TNF- , IL-4, and IL-10 were higher than in control animals, for the two organs. Cytokine levels in the spleen and liver of infected dogs revealed the liver as the main cytokine-producing organ during infection. The level of TNF- was higher in the liver of symptomatic dogs, where parasite density was higher than in asymptomatic dogs. The levels of IL-4 and IL-10 did not differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs. A weak association between parasite density and IL-10 production was seen in the liver of asymptomatic... (Summary complete electronic access click below)

A disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) 17 cleaves and releases membrane-tethered pro-forms of several signalling molecules from the plasma membrane, including the inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and ligands of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Due to the important functions of its substrates, ADAM17 activity has to be tightly controlled, and its misregulation has implications for inflammation and cancer. The multi-pass membrane proteins iRhom1 and iRhom2 are members of the conserved rhomboid-like superfamily and control ADAM17 activity by several mechanisms throughout the secretory pathway. First, iRhoms facilitate trafficking of the catalytically inactive proenzyme form of ADAM17 from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi apparatus, where the inhibitory pro-domain of ADAM17 is removed. Subsequently, iRhoms exert a different form of control of ADAM17 at the plasma membrane, this time on stimulus-induced ADAM17 activity, its substrate specificity, and its stability. iRhoms ultimately regulate the release of ADAM17 substrates, and are consequently key players in TNFα and EGFR signalling. However, it remains unclear how iRhom function itself is regulated posttranslationally, and whether iRhoms require co-factors to exert their roles as ADAM17 regulators. The goal of my project was to shed light into these questions by identifying new iRhom interaction partners. I developed a mass spectrometry-based screen to identify new binding partners of human iRhoms using co-immunoprecipitation. The top hit of the screen was the poorly characterised FERM domain-containing protein 8 (FRMD8), which binds to both iRhom1 and iRhom2. FRMD8 was found to play a crucial role in the iRhom/ADAM17 pathway because FRMD8 knockdown and knockout in HEK293T cells significantly reduced the levels of mature ADAM17 and the release of ADAM17 substrates. The closely related metalloprotease ADAM10 was not affected by the loss of FRMD8, implying that FRMD8 is not a general regulator of ADAM metalloproteases. Interaction studies revealed that FRMD8 binds to the cytosolic N-terminus of iRhom2 throughout the entire secretory pathway. FRMD8 loss does not affect the ER-to-Golgi trafficking of iRhom2 but plays a role in stabilising iRhom2 at the plasma membrane by preventing the lysosomal degradation of both iRhom2 and mature ADAM17. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived macrophages, I showed that FRMD8 regulates mature ADAM17 levels and the ADAM17-dependent release of TNFα in human macrophages. Studies in FRMD8 knockout (KO) mice confirmed the reduced mature ADAM17 levels in all mouse tissues tested, further supporting the conclusion that FRMD8 is a novel regulator of the iRhom/ADAM17 pathway with physiological relevance in mammals. Finally, I showed that the interaction of FRMD8 and iRhom, which are both conserved from Drosophila to human, is also conserved. Furthermore, loss of the FRMD8 orthologue in flies, Bili, leads to motility defects and shows similarity to the loss of iRhom in flies. These results suggest that FRMD8 is a novel regulator of iRhom function in mammals and Drosophila.

O fator neurotrófico derivado do cérebro (BDNF) e o turnover da melatonina estão associados à dor pélvica crônica (DPC) associada à endometriose. Nós realizamos este estudo para entender se a secreção de melatonina, avaliada pela 6-sulfatoximelatonina urinária (aMT6-s), está correlacionada com o controle do BDNF a outros fatores como fator de necrose tumoral (TNF), interleucina 6 (IL-6), interleucina 10 (IL-10), cortisol ou nível de dor. Foram analisadas vinte mulheres com idade entre 18 e 45 anos com dor pélvica crônica e diagnóstico de endometriose por videolaparoscopia. Diferenças nos padrões temporais de aMT6-s e cortisol salivar de acordo com os intervalos de tempo no dia sugerem que ambos apresentaram padrões fisiológicos de flutuação. A dispersão da média da aMT6-s obtida a cada 6 h foi plotada em uma curva de regressão polinomial correspondendo por 43% da variância no perfil de excreção. Aumentos de 1 ng/mL no BDNF sérico levaram a uma modificação média da aMT6-s de -14,32 [intervalo de confiança (IC) 95% (-24,09 a -4,59)] ou vice-versa, enquanto aumentos de 1 ng/mL no TNF sérico levaram a um aumento da excreção média de aMT6-s em 1,32 (IC 95% 0,65 a 1,98). aMT6-s não estava associada com IL-6, IL-10 ou nível de dor. Portanto, nós encontramos que o BDNF sérico está inversamente correlacionado com a aMT6-s, enquanto os níveis de TNF sérico estão positivamente correlacionados com aMT6-s. Estes achados demonstraram que a interação e as relações entre BDNF e secreção de melatonina na endometriose são complexas e que estudos longitudinais subsequentes são necessários para elucidar como estes sistemas interagem a longo prazo. / The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and melatonin turnover has been involved in the endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain (EACPP). We run this study to understand whether melatonin secretion, indexed by urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6-s), is correlated with BDNF controlling to other factors such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), cortisol or pain index. Twenty females, aged 18 to 45, with chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis diagnoses by videolaparoscopy, were analyzed. Differences in the temporal patterns of aMT6-s and salivary cortisol according to time-of-day intervals suggest that both presented physiological patterns of flotation. The dispersion of mean aMT6-s obtained every 6 h fitted a quadratic curve of polynomial regression accounting for 43% of the variance in the excretion profile. Increases of 1 ng/mL in serum BDNF led to a mean change in aMT6-s of -14.34 [confidence interval (CI) 95% (-24.09 to -4.59)] or vice versa, while increases of 1 ng/mL in serum TNF led to an increment of the mean aMT6-s excretion by 1.32 (CI 95%, 0.65 to 1.98). aMT6-s was not associated with interleukin (IL-6), interleukin (IL-10) or pain index. Therefore, we found that serum BDNF is inversely correlated with aMT6-s, while levels of serum TNF are positively correlated with aMT6-s. These findings demonstrated that the interaction and relations of BDNF and melatonin secretion in endometriosis are complex and that further longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate how these systems interact over a longer term.

Introdução: A artrite reumatoide é uma doença inflamatória autoimune associada à complicações sistêmicas como fadiga e perda muscular. Perda muscular pode estar relacionada com a ativação do sistema ubiquitina-proteossomo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a perda muscular e o evolvimento do proteossomo no modelo de artrite induzida por colágeno (CIA), com ou sem o tratamento de metotrexato ou inibidor de TNF (etanercepte). Métodos: Camundongos DBA1/J machos foram divididos em 4 grupos (n=8 cada): CIA (salina); ETN (etanercepte, 5.5 /) e MTX (metotrexato, 35 /), tratados duas vezes por semana por 6 semanas, e um grupo controle saudável (CO). Tratamentos iniciaram uma semana após a injeção do booster. Escore clínico, edema da pata traseira e peso corporal foram analisados durante o período experimental. Músculo gastrocnêmio (GA) foi pesado após a morte e usado para quantificar a atividade, níveis proteicos e expressão de mRNA das diferentes subunidades do proteossomo através de ensaio fluorogênico, Western blot e rtPCR, respectivamente. Resultados: Tratamentos reduziram o desenvolvimento da doença, observado através do menor escore clínico e edema da pata traseira nos grupos ETN e MTX. ETN apresentou maior peso corporal do que MTX nas semanas 5 e 7. Músculo GA estava aumentado em ETN do que CIA e MTX, um resultado também observado no peso muscular normalizado. As propriedades catalíticas do proteossomo 26S muscular mostraram um aumento na atividade do tipo caspase nos grupos CIA e MTX. Tecidos musculares de animais MTX demonstraram maiores níveis proteicos das subunidades do proteossomo PSMB8 e PSMB9 e maior expressão gênica de Psmb5, Psmb8 e Psmb9. Por outro lado, a expressão de Psmb6 estava diminuída e de Psmb9 estava aumentada em CIA. Conclusões: Apesar de ambos os medicamentos melhorarem o escore da doença, ETN apresentou um afeito anti-artrítico mais forte e foi o único tratamento capaz de prevenir parcialmente a perda muscular. Ao contrário de ETN, CIA e o tratamento com MTX apresentaram perda muscular e atividade e expressão do proteossomo aumentadas. / Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease associated with systemic complications like fatigue and muscle wasting. Muscle wasting could be related to the activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The aim of this study was to evaluate muscle loss and involvement of the proteasome in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), with or without treatment with methotrexate or a TNF inhibitor (etanercept). Methods: Male DBA1/J mice were divided into 4 groups (n=8 each): CIA (saline); ETN (etanercept, 5.5 /) and MTX (methotrexate, 35 /), treated twice a week for 6 weeks, and a healthy control group (CO). Treatments started one week after booster injection. Clinical score, hind paw oedema, and body weight were analysed during the experimental period. Gastrocnemius muscles (GA) were weighted after death and used to quantify proteasome activity, protein levels and mRNA expression of its subunits by Western blot and rtPCR, respectively. Results: Treatments slowed disease development, observed through smaller clinical score and hindpaw edema in ETN and MTX groups. ETN presented higher body weight compared to MTX group at weeks 5 and 7. GA weight was heavier in ETN than CIA and MTX, a result also observed in the normalized muscle weight. The catalytic properties of 26S proteasome showed an increase of caspase-like activity in CIA and MTX groups. Muscles tissues of MTX treated animals showed higher protein levels for proteasomal subunits PSMB8 and PSMB9 and higher gene expression for Psmb5, Psmb8 and Psmb9. In contrast, expression of Psmb6 was decreased and of Psmb9 was enhanced in CIA. Conclusions: Although both drugs improved the disease score, ETN presented a stronger anti-arthritic effect and was the only treatment able to partially prevent muscle wasting. In contrast to ETN, CIA and MTX treatment did not prevent muscles loss due to increased proteasome expression and activity.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-01-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:22:02Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 faria_jlm_dr_jabo.pdf: 2769905 bytes, checksum: 15c4be53d67c11751ac4644728993d4f (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A infecção aguda experimental pela amostra Jaboticabal de Ehrlichia canis provoca alterações clínicas severas no hospedeiro, com graves distúrbios sanguíneos e imunológicos, que podem comprometer a vida do animal. Com este estudo buscou-se avaliar a expressão gênica de TNF-α, IFN-γ e IL-10, pesquisar a presença de mórulas no baço e avaliar o imunofenótipo das células esplênicas antes, nos dias 6, 18 e 30 após a inoculação e 25 dias após o tratamento com cloridrato de doxicilina, em cinco cães sem definição racial inoculados com a amostra Jaboticabal de Ehrlichia canis. Nas condições experimentais desta pesquisa, o início do desenvolvimento dos sinais clínicos, seis dias após a inoculação (D6) foi acompanhado pela expressão de TNF-α e aumento de células MHC II+ (P<0,05) na citologia esplênica em relação ao controle. Com o desenvolvimento da infecção experimental (D18) ocorreu o agravamento dos sinais clínicos, os cães apresentaram febre, linfadenomegalia e esplenomegalia acompanhados de trombocitopenia, leucopenia e anemia, mórulas na citologia esplênica, aumento significativo da expressão de TNF-α em leucócitos e células esplênicas, detecção de IL-10, tanto em leucócitos como em células esplênicas e redução de células CD4+ (P<0,05), em relação ao momento anterior e ao grupo controle, macrófagos (P<0,05) em relação ao controle, e aumento de células B (P<0,05) em relação a D-1 e ao grupo controle. Aos 30 dias os cães já não apresentavam sinais clínicos da infecção, porém persistia a trombocitopenia. Além disso, persistência do aumento das células B+ esplênicas (P<0,05), diminuição significativa das células CD4+ e dos macrófagos em relação ao D18 e ao controle. O TNF-α atingiu sua maior taxa de expressão e ocorreu a detecção de IFN-γ. / The experimental acute infection by Ehrlichia canis Jaboticabal sample provokes severe clinical alterations in the host with serious blood and immunological disorders that may compromise the animal’s life. The present study aimed to evaluate the gene expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-10, search morulae presence in the spleen and evaluate the splenic cells’ immunophenotype before, at days 6, 18 and 30 days post inoculation and 25 days after the treatment with doxycycline cloridrate, in five cross-bred dogs inoculated with Ehrlichia canis Jaboticabal sample. At the experimental conditions of this research, the beginning of the development of the clinical signs, six days after the inoculation (D6) was accompanied by expression of TNF-α and increase of MHC II+ cells (P<0,05) at the splenic cytology when compared to the control group. As long as the experimental infection was developed (D18) the clinical signs were becoming worse, the dogs presented fever, lymphadenomegalia and spleenomegalia accompanied by thrombocytopenia, leucopenia and anemia, morulae in the splenic cytology, significant increase of the expression of TNF-α in leukocytes and splenic cells, detection of IL-10 both in leukocytes and in splenic cells and the decrease of CD4+ cells (P<0,05) in comparison to the previous moment and to the control group, macrophages (P<0,05) compared to the control group, and increase of cells B (P<0,05) in comparison to the control group and D-1. At day 30 the dogs no more presented the infection clinical signs, although the thrombocytopenia persisted. Besides, persistent splenic cells B+ increase (P<0,05), significant reduction of CD4+ cells and macrophages compared to D18 and to the control group were observed. The TNF-α reached its highest expression rate and the detection of IFN-γ ocurred.