Mycoplasma pneumoniae Induces Chronic Respiratory Infection, Airway Hyperreactivity, and Pulmonary Inflammation: a Murine Model of Infection-Associated Chronic Reactive Airway Disease

• DOI: 10.1128/iai.70.2.649-654.2002
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:55:53Z
• Authors: Robert D. Hardy; Hasan S. Jafri; Kurt Olsen; Jeanine Hatfield; Janie Iglehart; Beverly B. Rogers; Padma Patel; Gail Cassell; George H. McCracken; Octavio Ramilo
• Keywords: Chronic infection; Mycoplasmataceae; Respiratory infection; Pulmonary infection

Because chronic Mycoplasma pneumoniae respiratory infection is hypothesized to play a role in asthma, the potential of M. establish with associated pulmonary disease was investigated murine model. BALB/c mice were intranasally inoculated once and examined at 109, 150, 245, 368, 530 days postinoculation. detected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by culture or PCR 70 22% 109 postinoculation, respectively. Lung histopathology normal up 368 At days, however, 78% demonstrated abnormal characterized peribronchial perivascular mononuclear infiltrates. A mean histopathologic score (HPS) 5.1 significantly greater (P < 0.01) than that for controls (HPS 0). Serum anti-M. immunoglobulin G detectable all inversely correlated HPS (r = -0.95, P Unrestrained whole-body plethysmography measurement enhanced pause revealed elevated airway methacholine reactivity pneumoniae-inoculated compared 245 0.03) increased obstruction 0.01). Murine can lead hyperreactivity, obstruction, histologic inflammation.