CD40 Ligand Deficient C57BL/6 Mouse Is a Potential Surrogate Model of Human X-Linked Hyper IgM (X-HIGM) Syndrome for Characterizing Immune Responses against Pathogens

Individuals with X-HIGM syndrome fail to express functional CD40 ligand; consequently they cannot mount effective protective antibody responses against pathogenic bacteria. We evaluated, compared, and characterized the humoral immune response of wild type (WT) and C57-CD40L deficient (C57-CD40L(-/-)) mice infected with Citrobacter rodentium. Basal serum isotype levels were similar for IgM and IgG3 among mice, while total IgG and IgG2b concentrations were significantly lower in C57-CD40L(-/-) mice compared with WT. Essentially IgG1 and IgG2c levels were detectable only in WT mice. C57-CD40L(-/-) animals, orally inoculated with 2x10(9) CFU, presented several clinical manifestations since the second week of infection and eventually died. In contrast at this time point no clinical manifestations were observed among C57-CD40L(-/-) mice infected with 1x10(7) CFU. Infection was subclinical in WT mice inoculated with either bacterial dose. The serum samples from infected mice (1 x 10(7) CFU), collected at day 14 after infection, had similar C. rodentium-specific IgMtitres. Although C57-CD40L(-/-) animals had lower IgG and IgG2b titres than WT mice, C57-CD40L(-/-) mice sera displayed complement-mediated bactericidal activity against C. rodentium. C. rodentium-infected C57-CD40L(-/-) mice are capable of producing antibodies that are protective. C57-CD40L(-/-) mouse is a useful surrogate model of X-HIGM syndrome for studying immune responses elicited against pathogens.