Protective effect of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis applied intramuscularly is associated with enhanced lung immune response in caprine tuberculosis
Investigación publicada en Veterinary Research
4 de noviembre de 2025
Caprine tuberculosis (TB) causes a zoonotic disease with significant economic and health implications. However, excluding some regions, goat herds are not subjected to official TB eradication programs. Implementing vaccination protocols for this species could provide a complementary and effective control strategy against TB. We assessed the protective efficacy and immune response associated with a heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis)-based immunostimulant (HIMB) applied intramuscularly against caprine pulmonary TB on 20 kid goats (10 immunized, 10 controls) naturally exposed to M. caprae infected goats for 10 months. TB-compatible lung lesions were assessed, alongside a local immune response analysis by immunohistochemistry of cell populations (Macrophages (M?s), neutrophils, T, and B lymphocytes) and associated immune mediators (iNOS, TNF-?, IL-1?, IL-6, IFN-?, TGF-?, IL-4). In the control group, 60% of the animals showed TB compatible lesions, compared with 40% of the immunized animals, which also showed a 78% reduction (p = 0.03) in the lesion severity score. Moreover, immunized animals showed a higher number of M1 M?s (p = 0.03), producers of iNOS, as well as a higher expression of TNF? (p = 0.04) and IL-1? (p = 0.03). These mediators play a key role in the activation of a Th1-type cellular immune responses effective against mycobacteria, associated with a response of T lymphocytes expressing IFN?, whose response was increased in the immunized group (p = 0.05). These results suggest that immunization with HIMB reduced the number and severity of TB-associated pulmonary lesions, which could be linked with an enhanced production of immune mediators with an essential role in the activation of M?s with bactericidal functions
Agullo-Ros I., Munoz-Fernandez L., Roy A., Bezos J., Sevilla IA., Moreno I., Garrido J., Rodriguez-Bertos A., Dominguez M., Juste R., Dominguez L., Gortazar C. y Risalde MA.
 | Unidad de Investigación Competitiva de Zoonosis y Enfermedades Emergentes (ENZOEM). Universidad de Córdoba (UCO). |
| Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de Córdoba (UCO). |
 | Centro Nacional de Epidemiología (CNE). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
 | Servicio de Micobacterias (MYC). Servicio de Patología y Veterinaria Forense (SAP). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
 | Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario (NEIKER). Gobierno Vasco. |
| Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Servicio de Inmunología. Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
 | Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio). Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (UCLM). Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM). |
| Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
