Delayed clearance of Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in CD4+ T-cell knockout mice

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the rickettsia Ehrlichia chaffeensis. To examine the role of helper T cells in host resistance to this macrophage-tropic bacterium, we assessed E. chaffeensis infections in three mouse strains with differing functional levels of helper T cells. Wild-type, C57BL/6J mice resolved infections in approximately 2 weeks. Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) knockout, B6.129-Abb(tm1) mice lacking helper T cells developed persistent infections that were not resolved even after several months. CD4(+) T-cell-deficient, B6.129S6-Cd4(tm1Knw) mice cleared the infection, but the clearance took 2 weeks longer than it did for wild-type mice. C57BL/6J mice resolved infection more rapidly following a second experimental challenge, but B6.129S6-Cd4(tm1Knw) mice did not. The B6.129S6-Cd4(tm1Knw) mice also developed active E. chaffeensis-specific immunoglobulin G responses that were slightly lower in concentration and slower to develop than that observed in C57BL/6j mice. E. chaffeensis-specific cytotoxic T cells were not detected following a single bacterial challenge in any mouse strain, including wild-type C57BL/6j mice. However, the cytotoxic T-cell activity developed in all three mouse strains, including the MHCII and CD4(+) T-cell knockouts, when challenged with a second E. chaffeensis infection. The data reported here suggest that the cell-mediated immunity, orchestrated by CD4(+) T cells is critical for conferring rapid clearance of E. chaffeensis.