Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006 May 22; (Read article online)

Handley SA, Dube PH, Miller VL

Enteric pathogens such as Yersinia enterocolitica readily colonize and induce disease within the lymphatic tissues of the small intestine. To gain a comprehensive view of the host response to pathogens within these tissues, we determined the transcriptional profiles of intestinal lymphatic tissue infected with Y. enterocolitica. Expression analysis using Affymetrix GeneChips revealed a complex host response in the Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes after oral infection with Y. enterocolitica. Interestingly, histidine decarboxylase (Hdc) was significantly up-regulated in response to Y. enterocolitica infection. HDC is the enzyme solely responsible for the production of the biogenic amine histamine. Although histamine is well known for its role in allergy and for its effects on immunity and inflammation, little is known about its role or specific histamine receptors during the host response to bacterial infection. In this study, we provide evidence that histamine signaling through the histamine H2 but not the H1 receptor is important for controlling Y. enterocolitica infection within the Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes of mice.