Immunohistochemical identification of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides in cases of Contagoious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP)

Lungs, thoracic lymph nodes, kidneys, liver and muscular tissue from cattle with contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) werw examined immunohistochemically for the presence of Micoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (M.mycoides) antigen. In the lung with acute lesions positivity was detected mainly in alveolar macrophages located in lobularsepta and in the inner part of the wall of sequestra. Lymph nodes showed the presence of positively stained macrophages in the sinuses during the acute phase, while a marked positivity of the centrofollicular areas was the chacteristic finding in chronic cases. In the kdneys M.nycoides antigen was identified in the lumen of blood vessels, glomerular cells, interstitial cells and tubular epithelia. In cattle with acute CBPP most of the Kuppfer cells resulted positive. In the muscular tissue positive macrophages and material were detected in the lumen of blood vessels. Our results indicate that 1) immunohistochemistry is a reliable tool in the diagnosis and in the pathogenetical study of CBPP, and 2) in animals with CBPP the presence of M. mycoides antigen is not restricted to the lungs but is also present in the lymph nodes, kidneys, liver and the muscular tissue