Effect of blocking HMGB1 during early infection on bacilli loads and inflammation.

<p>(A) Groups of infected BALB/c mice with <i>M</i>.<i>tuberculosis</i> strain H37Rv were treated with blocking specific antibodies against HMGB1 administered each other day since the first day of infection and during three weeks (solid symbols); control animals received isotype irrelevant chicken antibodies (white symbols). (B) The lungs from three mice per each sacrifice day were used to determine the area in square microns occupied by inflammatory cells in the indicated lung compartment, in mice treated with HMGB1 blocking antibodies (black bars) and control group (white bars). Asterisks represent statistical significance (p<0.05 student T test). (C) Representative lung micrograph from a mouse treated with blocking HMGB1 antibodies after one week of infection, there are numerous lymphocytes around blood vessels (BV), airways (AW) and alveolar-capillary interstitium (arrow). (D) In contrast, control mouse show lower inflammation in the same lung compartments after 7 days of infection. (E) After one month of infection, the lung of mouse treated with blocking antibodies shows high inflammatory response around blood vessels (arrows) and in the interstitium (asterisk) but there is not pneumonia. (F) In comparison, the lung of control mouse show focal patches of pneumonia (asterisk). (All figures H/E staining, scale bar = 100μ).