Premium
Dysregulated Production of Interferon‐γ, Interleukin‐4 and Interleukin‐6 in Early Tuberculosis Patients in Response to Antigen 85B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Author(s) -
Jo Jo,
Ki Wook Kim,
; Lim,
MIN Min,
Xianfang Song,
Xianfang Song,
Joonki Paik,
Suhr,
HaeSim Park
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3083.2000.00663.x
Subject(s) - mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculosis , immunology , medicine , antigen , interleukin , interferon , microbiology and biotechnology , cytokine , biology , pathology
Both interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and interleukin (IL)‐4 expression in T cells and IL‐6 expression in cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage were monitored using antigen 85B (Ag85B) protein and purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen in the early stages of tuberculosis (TB). We showed that the levels of cell‐associated IFN‐γ and IL‐4 (mRNA and intracellular cytokine) in Ag85B‐stimulated T cells were significantly depressed in TB patients compared with those in healthy tuberculin reactors. On the other hand, the capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to produce IL‐6 spontaneously ex vivo was enhanced in patients ( P < 0.001), but their corresponding capacities to respond to Ag85B were not significantly different from those of normal donors. After 2 months of antituberculosis therapy, the mean blastogenic responses of Ag85B‐stimulated PBMC from seven TB patients were increased 6.1‐fold ( P = 0.011). Furthermore, the proportions of both IFN‐γ‐ ( P < 0.01) and IL‐4‐ ( P = 0.05) producing T cells were significantly increased. However, those of IL‐6‐producing cells were diminished in response to Ag85B ( P = 0.05). Our results suggest that there may be an altered regulation of IFN‐γ, IL‐4 and IL‐6 to Ag85B in the early stages of TB.