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IL‐18 Production in Human Pulmonary and Pleural Tuberculosis
Author(s) -
Song C.H.,
Lee J.S.,
Nam H.H.,
Kim J.M.,
Suhr J.W.,
Jung S.S.,
Na M.J.,
Paik T.H.,
Kim H.J.,
Park J.K.,
Jo E.K.
Publication year - 2002
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.1365-3083.2002.01143.x
Subject(s) - medicine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , tuberculosis , interferon gamma , pleural effusion , stimulation , tuberculin , immunology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , gastroenterology , in vitro , pathology , immune system , chemistry , biochemistry
Interleukin‐18 (IL‐18) has multiple important pro‐inflammatory effects, including the induction of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) in various diseases. In this study, we investigated the IL‐18‐producing activities in human pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis (TB) in response to purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen (Ag) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The most significant IL‐18 production was found in chronic refractory TB (CRTB) patients. However, IFN‐γ production in CRTB patients was significantly less than that in healthy tuberculin reactors or in patients with tuberculous pleurisy (TBP). Elevated levels of both IL‐18 and IFN‐γ were found in pleural fluids from TBP patients. In vitro production of IL‐18 was dramatically decreased following an 18 h stimulation with PPD. However, IFN‐γ was markedly increased in pleural mononuclear cells from TBP patients after in vitro stimulation with PPD. The mesothelial cell type was the main source of pro‐IL‐18 in pleural cells from TBP patients, suggesting an important role for these cells in TBP. Taken together, these data indicate that IL‐18 is elevated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CRTB patients, as well as at the site of TBP, indicating a possible role for IL‐18 in both protective immunity and pathologic responses in human TB.