Author/Editor		Abram, Maja; Schlueter, Dirk; Vučković, Darinka; Wraber, Branka; Dorić, Miljenko; Deckert, Martina
Title		Effects of pregnancy-associated Listeria monocytogenes infection: necrotizing hepatitis due to impaired maternal immune response and significantly increased abortion rate
Type		članek
Source		Virchows Arch
Vol. and No.		Letnik 441
Publication year		2002
Volume		str. 368-79
Language		eng
Abstract		The impact of L. monocytogenes infection on maternal immune responses as well as on the outcome of pregnancy was studied in a murine model of pregnancy-associated listeriosis. Mice infected i.v. with L. monocytogenes at day 15 of pregnancy showed a significantly impaired bacterial elimination, which resulted in a severe necrotizing hemorrhagic hepatitis. The aggravated course of the infection could be attributed to a suppressed transcription and production of anti-listerial, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, namely interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-12p40, inducible nitric oxide synthase, murine monokine induced by interferon-gamma, and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10. In addition, listeriosis significantly increased the abortion rate. Infection of the placenta and fetuses was characterized by placental and fetal necrosis with unrestricted bacterial multiplication. A weak transcription of anti-listerial cytokines in the placenta in the absence of a cellular immune response could not prevent the fatal outcome of pregnancy-associated listeriosis.
Descriptors		LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES LISTERIA INFECTIONS PREGNANCY, ANIMAL HEPATITIS, ANIMAL FETAL RESORPTION MICE, INBRED BALB C IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY TREATMENT OUTCOME CYTOKINES INTERFERON TYPE II INTERLEUKIN-2 INTERLEUKIN-10 INTERLEUKIN-1 TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE RNA PROBES RNA, MESSENGER POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION