Effect of cyclophosphamide treatment on clinical and serologic response of rats to infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae.

Young albino rats were immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide and exposed to virulent and low-virulence Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae 820K. In rats exposed to virulent and low virulence leptospires, microscopic agglutinating antibody responses occurred later, and longer leptospiremic phase and more massive tissue invasion by the organisms were observed in immunosuppressed rats than in immunocompetent controls. Clinical and pathologic signs of illness were more severe in the immunosuppressed animals than in immunocompetent controls. When exposed to low-virulence leptospires, immunosuppressed rats became infected and developed signs of illness and 2 of 16 died. Immunocompetent rats rapidly developed a humoral response and did not develop any signs of illness, and with 1 exception, organisms were not recovered from any tissues.