Dynamics of gamma interferon, interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, and transforming growth factor β mRNA expression in primary Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection in guinea pigs measured by a real-time fluorogenic reverse transcription PCR assay

The guinea pig has been utilized as a model for studying infectious diseases because its reactions closely resemble those of humans biologically and immunologically. However, the cytokine responses in this animal remain to be studied. Initially, we established a quantitative assay using a real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to measure guinea pig gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA. By preparing primer-fluorogenic probe sets for these cytokines and standard RNA templates corresponding to the target sequence of each cytokine, we obtained linear standard curves essential for quantitative determination. In guinea pigs immunized by intradermal (i.d.) vaccination with the Tokyo strain of Mycobacterium bovis BCG (0.1 mg) or else hyperimmunized with the same vaccine (10 mg) given intravenously (i.v.), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at 4 weeks showed an increase in IFN-gamma mRNA expression in the latter but not the former animals. However, at week 10, IFN-gamma mRNA expression was markedly elevated in PBMCs, spleen cells, and cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in both the i.d.- and the i.v.-immunized animals, the level of expression being 10 times higher in the latter. In contrast, the expression levels of IL-12 mRNA in PBMCs, spleen cells, and BAL cells were not enhanced in either group at 10 weeks postimmunization. The expression of IL-10 and TGF-beta increased slightly only in PBMCs. Regardless of differences in the levels of cytokine responses, the magnitudes of the purified protein derivative of tuberculin-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin reactions for the two groups did not differ significantly at 8 weeks postvaccination. In this study, we quantitatively measured IL-10, IL-12, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma mRNA in BCG-immunized guinea pigs and showed that the level of IFN-gamma mRNA expression does not necessarily reflect the magnitude of the DTH response, suggesting that there may be an intricate relationship between protective immunity, the level of IFN-gamma, and the DTH response. Thus, our quantitative assay would be of use for the development of vaccines using guinea pig models.