B cells in osteoarticular disease caused by Brucella abortus.

PESCE VIGLIETTI A. I., ARRIOLA BENITEZ P. C., GIAMBARTOLOMEI G. H., DELPINO M. V.

Congreso; LXIII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; 2015

Brucella abortus is an intracellular bacterium that establishes lifelong infections in livestock and humans although the mechanisms of itschronicity are poorly understood. Activated B cells have long lifespan and B. abortus infection activates B cells. Our results indicate that thedirect infection of B cells with B. abortus induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), receptor activator for NF kB ligand (RANKL), tumornecrosis factor (TNF)-a and interleukin (IL)-6 secretion. In addition, supernatants from B. abortus-infected B cells induced bone marrowderivedmonocytes to undergo osteoclastogenesis. Using osteoprotegerin, RANKL's decoy receptor, we determined that RANKL is involvedin osteoclastogenesis induced by supernatants from B. abortus-infected B cells. The results presented here shed light on how the interactions ofB. abortus with B cells may have a role in the pathogenesis of brucellar osteoarticular disease.