Sequestration from immune CD4+ T cells of mycobacteria growing in human macrophages.
CD4+ helper T cells mediate resistance to tuberculosis, presumably by enhancing the antimicrobial activity of macrophages within which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis organism grows. A first step in resistance should be the presentation of mycobacterial antigens by macrophages to CD4+ T cells. However, when the antigenic stimulus is limited to organisms growing in human monocytes, the organisms become sequestered from immune CD4+ T cells. This block in presentation is selective for growing mycobacteria and not for other stimuli. Sequestration would allow replicating organisms to persist in infected individuals and may contribute to virulence.
Pancholi
P
P
Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
Mirza
A
A
Bhardwaj
N
N
Steinman
R M
RM
D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D014373:Tuberculin