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Altered Cortisol/DHEA Ratio in Tuberculosis Patients and its Relationship with Abnormalities in the Mycobacterial‐driven Cytokine Production by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Author(s) -
Bozza V. V.,
D'Attilio L.,
Mahuad C. V.,
Giri A. A.,
Del Rey A.,
Besedovsky H.,
Bottasso O.,
Bay M. L.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2007.01952.x
Subject(s) - dehydroepiandrosterone , immune system , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , medicine , endocrinology , cytokine , immunology , tuberculosis , population , hydrocortisone , mycobacterium tuberculosis , testosterone (patch) , in vitro , biology , hormone , androgen , pathology , biochemistry , environmental health
We have investigated the relationship between cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels and the immune response to mycobacterial antigens in peripheral venous blood, from a male population of active tuberculosis patients and age‐matched healthy controls of the same sex (HCo). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured for 36 or 96 h with whole sonicated Mycobacterium tuberculosis (WSA) for measurement of proliferation, interferon gamma (IFN‐ γ ) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) in culture supernatants. Comparisons on the in vitro mycobacterial‐driven immune responses demonstrated that TB patients had a higher IL‐10 production, a decreased lymphoproliferation and a trend to reduced IFN‐ γ synthesis, in relation to HCo. Active disease was also characterized by increases in the plasma levels of glucocorticoids (GC) and reduced concentrations of DHEA which resulted in a higher cortisol/DHEA ratio respect the HCo group. Plasma DHEA levels were positively correlated with IFN‐ γ values. An inverse correlation was found between the cortisol/DHEA ratio and IFN‐ γ levels. Novel evidence is provided showing that the balance between cortisol and DHEA is partly responsible for the immune perturbations seen in TB patients.