title: Lysis of human macrophages by cytolytic CD4+ T cells fails to affect survival of intracellular Mycobacterium bovis-bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
abstract: Human CD4+, mycobacteria-specific, cytolytic T cell clones were used to lyse BCG-infected macrophages, and the effect on the subsequent growth and viability of the organisms was examined. The survival of released bacteria following cell lysis was assessed by both 3H-uridine labelling and colony-forming unit (CFU) estimation. The results indicate that even when effective antigen-specific or lectin-mediated cytolysis of the infected macrophages was achieved, there was no evidence for a direct mycobactericidal effect on the intracellular bacteria. This remained the case even if the period of co-culture of T cells and macrophages was extended up to 48 h. Pretreatment of the macrophages with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was not able to act together with T cell-mediated lysis to produce inhibition of mycobacterial growth.
authors: Department of Immunology, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Fazal
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Lammas
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Rahelu
authors: A D
authors: AD
authors: Pithie
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Gaston
authors: D S
authors: DS
authors: Kumararatne
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*