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Dendritic cells derived from BCG‐infected precursors induce Th2‐like immune response
Author(s) -
Martino Angelo,
Sacchi Alessandra,
Sanarico Nunzia,
Spadaro Francesca,
Ramoni Carlo,
Ciaramella Antonio,
Pucillo Leopoldo Paolo,
Colizzi Vittorio,
Vendetti Silvia
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0703313
Subject(s) - immunology , biology , immune system , dendritic cell , proinflammatory cytokine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , monocyte , granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor , tuberculosis , tumor necrosis factor alpha , mycobacterium tuberculosis , mycobacterium bovis , cytokine , inflammation , medicine , in vitro , pathology , biochemistry
Human monocytes can differentiate into dendritic cells (DCs) according to the nature of environmental signals. We tested here whether the infection with the live tuberculosis vaccine bacillus Calmette‐Guerin (BCG), which is known to be limited in preventing pulmonary tuberculosis, modulates monocyte and DC differentiation. We found that monocytes infected with BCG differentiate into CD1a – DCs (BCG‐DCs) in the presence of granulocyte macrophage‐colony stimulating factor and interleukin (IL)‐4 and acquired a mature phenotype in the absence of maturation stimuli. In addition, BCG‐DCs produced proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, IL‐1β, IL‐6) and IL‐10 but not IL‐12. BCG‐DCs were able to stimulate allogeneic T lymphocytes to a similar degree as DCs generated in the absence of infection. However, BCG‐DCs induced IL‐4 production when cocultured with human cord‐blood mononuclear cells. The induction of IL‐4 production by DCs generated by BCG‐infected monocytes could explain the failure of the BCG vaccine to prevent pulmonary tuberculosis.