Cellular and Cytokine Responses in the Granulomas of Asymptomatic Cattle naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis in Ethiopia

Cellular (CD3+ T cell and CD68+ macrophages), cytokines (IFN-{gamma}+ and TNF-+) and effector molecule (iNOS+) responses were evaluated in the lymph nodes and tissue of cattle naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis. Detailed post mortem and immunonohistochemical examinations of lesions were performed on 16 cows positive for single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin test (SICCTT) and identified from dairy farms located around the Addis Ababa City. The severity of the gross lesion was significantly higher (p=0.003) in M. bovis culture positive (n=12) cows than in culture negative (n=4). Immunohistochemical techniques showed that the mean percentage labelling of CD3+ T cells decreased as the stage of granuloma increased from stage I to stage IV in culture positive cows (p<0.001). On the other hand, the proportional fraction of CD68+ macrophages and the concentrations of IFN-{gamma}+, TNF-+ and iNOS+ increased significantly from stage I to stage IV (p< 0.001) in culture positive cows. At the early stage of the granuloma, the culture negative cows showed significantly higher mean proportions of CD68+ macrophages (p=0.03) as well as the concentrations of iNOS+ (p=0.007) compared to culture positive cows. Similarly, at advanced granuloma stages, culture negative cows demonstrated significantly higher mean proportions of CD3+ T cells (p< 0.001) compared to culture positive cows. Thus, the present study demonstrated that following natural infection of cows with M. bovis, as the stage of granuloma increases from stage I to stage IV, the proportion of CD3+ cells decreases while the immunolabeling fraction of CD68+ macrophages, IFN-{gamma}+, TNF- and iNOS+ increases.