BACKGROUND: Microsporidia of the genus Encephalitozoon are usually associated with severe infections in immunodeficient hosts while, in immunocompetent ones, microsporidiosis produces minimal clinically apparent disease. Despite their microscopic size, microsporidia are capable of causing systemic infection within a few days. However, the mechanisms by which microsporidia reach target tissues during acute infection remain unclear. Out of four genotypes of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, only three are available for experimental studies, with E. cuniculi genotype II being the best characterized. METHODS: In the present study, we tested the association between inflammation induction in immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice and the presence of spores of E. cuniculi genotypes I and III in selected organs using molecular methods and compared the results with previously published data on E. cuniculi genotype II. RESULTS: We reported the positive connection between inflammation induction and the significant increase of E. cuniculi genotypes I and III occurrence in inflammatory foci in both immunocompetent BALB/c and immunodeficient severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice in the acute phase of infection. The induction of inflammation resulted in increased concentration of E. cuniculi of both genotypes in the site of inflammation, as previously reported for E. cuniculi genotype II. Moreover, our study extended the spectrum of differences among E. cuniculi genotypes by the variations in dispersal rate within host bodies after experimentally induced inflammation. CONCLUSION: The results imply possible involvement of immune cells serving as vehicles transporting E. cuniculi towards inflammation foci. The elucidation of possible connection with pro-inflammatory immune responses represents an important challenge with implications for human health and the development of therapeutic strategies.

• Klíčová slova
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype I, Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype III, inflammation, targeted migration,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Microsporidia of the genus Encephalitozoon are generally connected with severe infections with lethal outcome in immunodeficient hosts. In immunocompetent hosts, microsporidiosis typically establishes a balanced host-parasite relationship that produces minimal clinically overt disease. Although the alimentary tract represents one of the main primary target tissues, the mechanisms of reaching other tissues during systemic microsporidian infections remain unclear. METHODS: In the present study, we tested the relation between inflammation induction in immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice and the presence of spores of E. cuniculi genotype II in selected organs and in fecal specimens by using molecular and histology methods. RESULTS: We reported the positive connection between inflammation induction and the significant increase of E. cuniculi genotype II occurrence in inflammation foci in both immunocompetent BALB/c and immunodeficient severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice in the acute phase of infection and the re-activation of latent microsporidial infection following inflammation induction in immunocompetent mice. CONCLUSION: The results imply possible involvement of immune cells serving as vehicles transporting E. cuniculi genotype II purposefully across the whole host body towards inflammation. With increasing number of records of infections, it is necessary to reconsider microsporidia as agents responsible for various pathologies. The elucidation of possible connection with pro-inflammatory immune responses represents an important challenge with consequences for human health and development of therapeutic strategies.

• Klíčová slova
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi, inflammation, targeted migration,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Chicken (Gallus gallus) were used as the experimental model for study of immune response against the microsporidium Encephalitozoon hellem (Didier et al., J Inf Dis 163:617-621, 1991) infection in birds. Two-day-old chicken were infected perorally or intraperitoneally with a dose of 10(7) spores of E. hellem. The anti-E. hellem immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgY, and IgM antibody responses in sera and dropping sample extracts were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results have shown specific antibody production in sera and intestinal secretions of infected birds. Chicken inoculated perorally developed the lowest antibody response. Microsporidian spores were not identified in the smears from cloacal swab samples of individual chicken. Intestinal segment cultures of perorally infected chicken cultivated in vitro showed the highest production of specific IgY and IgA antibodies in jejunum segments. In the further course of infection, the colon produced the highest amount of IgA, and the ileum and colon produced the highest amount of IgY.

• MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• Encephalitozoon imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• encephalitozoonóza imunologie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• feces mikrobiologie   MeSH
• gastrointestinální trakt imunologie   MeSH
• imunoglobulin A analýza   krev   MeSH
• imunoglobulin M analýza   krev   MeSH
• imunoglobuliny analýza   krev   MeSH
• kloaka mikrobiologie   MeSH
• kur domácí MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• protilátky fungální krev   MeSH
• spory hub izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• IgY MeSH Prohlížeč
• imunoglobulin A MeSH
• imunoglobulin M MeSH
• imunoglobuliny MeSH
• protilátky fungální MeSH

The possible role of humoral antibodies in the immune response to microsporidiosis was studied using a novel anti-exospore monoclonal antibody (MAb) P5/H1 which recognised Encephalitozoon cuniculi. The effect of the P5/H1 MAb on microsporidial growth in vitro resulted in a reduction of the numbers of E. cuniculi spores in a Vero E6 cell-line culture. This reduction in the number of infected cells and the decrease of intracellular spores in infected cells was found when MAb P5/H1 was present in cultures, compared to cultures with an irrelevant isotype control MAb. Moreover, the presence of P5/H1 MAb increased the number of phagocytosed spores in macrophage cultures, and increased the activation of macrophages measured by nitrite oxide production. These results suggest a possible partial role of specific humoral antibodies in the protection against E. cuniculi infection.

• MeSH
• antigeny protozoální imunologie   MeSH
• Cercopithecus aethiops MeSH
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• interferon gama metabolismus   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• makrofágy MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky imunologie   MeSH
• myši inbrední BALB C MeSH
• myši MeSH
• protilátky protozoální imunologie   MeSH
• senzitivita a specificita MeSH
• specificita protilátek MeSH
• spory protozoální imunologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Vero buňky MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny protozoální MeSH
• interferon gama MeSH
• monoklonální protilátky MeSH
• protilátky protozoální MeSH