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Host Defenses and Immunomodulation to Intracellular Pathogens pp 327–341Cite as

Legionella Pneumophila Immunity and Immunomodulation: Nature and Mechanisms

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 239))

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila is considered the etiologic agent of legionellosis and may cause severe respiratory infection in susceptible individuals, including man and guinea pigs (1–8). These organisms are fastidious opportunistic pathogens which are ubiquitously found in nature but only occasionally causes disease in man under normal circumstances. Guinea pigs are extremely susceptible to these bacteria and are widely used as an animal model for legionellosis. In contrast, rodents such as mice and rats are highly resistant to infection by these bacteria (7,8,10,11). Mice are difficult to infect with strains of Legionella highly virulent for guinea pigs. In several situations, it has been observed that Legionella may infect immunocompromised individuals, although no particular immunological lesion has been associated with acquisition of the disease (12–14). Indeed, in the first recognized outbreak of legionellosis, i.e., the upper respiratory infection in Pennsylvania State Legionnaires attending a convention in Philadelphia, specific immunologic depression was not observed although individuals who developed the disease drank more liquor, smoked more cigarettes and generally had less sleep than those companions who did not contact the disease.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Herman Friedman, Thomas W. Klein, Raymond Widen, Catherine Newton, D. Kay Blanchard & Yoshima Yamamoto

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  1. Herman Friedman
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  2. Thomas W. Klein
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  3. Raymond Widen
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  4. Catherine Newton
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  5. D. Kay Blanchard
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  6. Yoshima Yamamoto
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Toby K. Eisenstein Ph.D. (Professor of Microbiology and Immunology) (Professor of Microbiology and Immunology)

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Ward E. Bullock M.D. (Head) (Head)

  3. Department of Immunology and Anti-infectives Therapy, Smith Kline & French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Nabil Hanna Ph.D. (Director) (Director)

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© 1988 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Friedman, H., Klein, T.W., Widen, R., Newton, C., Blanchard, D.K., Yamamoto, Y. (1988). Legionella Pneumophila Immunity and Immunomodulation: Nature and Mechanisms. In: Eisenstein, T.K., Bullock, W.E., Hanna, N. (eds) Host Defenses and Immunomodulation to Intracellular Pathogens. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 239. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5421-6_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5421-6_32

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