Immunosuppression during active tuberculosis is characterized by decreased interferon-γ production and CD25 expression with elevated forkhead box P3, transforming growth factor-β, and interleukin-4 mRNA levels
Date
2007
Authors
Roberts T.
Beyers N.
Aguirre A.
Walzl G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The balance between effector and regulatory responses after Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection may dictate outcome and progression to active disease. We investigated effector and regulatory T cell responses in bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and whole blood cultures from persons with active tuberculosis (TB), persons with TB at the end of 6 months of treatment, and healthy control subjects with latent TB infection. All 3 groups displayed BCG-induced increases in effector and regulatory T cell phenotypes as defined by CD4+CD25lo and CD4+CD25hi T cells, respectively. In case patients with active disease, BCG stimulation induced the lowest increase of CD25, CD4 +CD25hi, CTLA-4, and interferon-γ. However, these case patients expressed the highest mRNA levels of forkhead box P3, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, and interleukin (IL)-4 and a lower T-bet:GATA-3 ratio. There were no significant differences in IL-4δ2, IL-10, or TGF-β receptor-II mRNA expression between groups. Together, these results suggest that immunosuppression seen after mycobacterial stimulation in case patients with active TB is associated with naturally occurring regulatory T cells. © 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.
Description
Keywords
BCG vaccine, ethambutol, gamma interferon, interleukin 10, interleukin 2 receptor alpha, interleukin 4, isoniazid, messenger RNA, pyrazinamide, rifampicin, transcription factor FOXP3, transcription factor GATA 3, transcription factor T bet, transforming growth factor beta, transforming growth factor beta receptor 2, antigen expression, article, CD4+ CD25+ T lymphocyte, cellular immunity, controlled study, effector cell, human, human cell, immune deficiency, interferon production, lung tuberculosis, mononuclear cell, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nonhuman, phenotype, priority journal, regulatory T lymphocyte, Antigens, CD, Antigens, CD3, BCG Vaccine, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, DNA Primers, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Immunosuppression, Interferon Type II, Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit, Interleukin-4, Lymphocyte Count, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Messenger, T-Lymphocytes, Transforming Growth Factor beta, Tuberculosis
Citation
Journal of Infectious Diseases
195
6
195
6