Extracellular matrix proteins (fibronectin, collagen III, and collagen I) immunoexpression in goat tuberculous granulomas ( Mycobacterium caprae )

The lesion resulting from the interaction between Mycobacterium and the host immune response is the tuberculous granuloma. Tuberculous granulomas, except in incipient stages, are partially or totally encapsulated by connective tissue. The aim of this study was to assess the immunoexpression of the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin, collagen III, and collagen I in granulomas caused by Mycobacterium caprae in goats ( Capra aegagrus hircus ) to understand capsule development at different granuloma stages. For this purpose, a retrospective study of 56 samples of tuberculous granulomas in lung ( n = 30) and mediastinal lymph node ( n = 26) from 17 goats naturally infected with M. caprae in stages I ( n = 15), II ( n = 14) and III ( n = 27) was carried out. Fibronectin immunoreaction was extracellular, fibrillar-reticular in the center of stage I, II and III granulomas and peripheral in stages II and III granulomas. Collagen III immunoexpression was extracellular and fibrillar in the center of stages I, II and III tuberculous granulomas in lung and mediastinal lymph node, and progressive expression was observed in the periphery of stages II and III granulomas. Finally, collagen I immunoexpression was extracellular and fibrillar, showing a progressive loss of central expression and an increase in peripheral expression in stage III granulomas compared to stage I granulomas. Immunoexpression of these extracellular matrix proteins could help understand fibrogenesis and dating in tuberculous granuloma in both animal models and humans.