Disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in a child with decreased tumour necrosis factor production.
Disseminated atypical mycobacterium infection is essentially reported in cellular immunodeficient children. Cell-mediated immunity including cytokines like tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and gamma interferon (IFN) is the most important factor allowing control of the dissemination of Mycobacterium. We report a child with disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection without classical immunodeficiency or HIV infection. Immunological studies revealed a defect of TNF production when the monocytes of the patient were primed with endotoxin (Escherichia coli).


CONCLUSIONS
This patient represents a further case of possible macrophage defect explaining the susceptibility to intracellular pathogens.
Tuerlinckx
D
D
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Service d'Hématologie pédiatrique, Bruxelles, Belgium.
Vermylen
C
C
Brichard
B
B
Ninane
J
J
Cornu
G
G
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000276:immunology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000276:immunology
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha