title: Induction of gamma interferon production in human alveolar macrophages by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
abstract: Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is a cytokine which plays a critical role in resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. While T lymphocytes and natural killer cells are a major source of IFN-gamma, previous demonstrations that it can be produced by murine macrophages prompted us to examine the capacity of human alveolar macrophages to express IFN-gamma. Here we report that in vitro infection of alveolar macrophages with M. tuberculosis induces both the release of IFN-gamma protein and a transient increase in IFN-gamma mRNA levels. The IFN-producing cells were shown to be macrophages by reverse transcription-in situ PCR. We also observed that M. tuberculosis stimulation resulted in IFN-gamma-dependent expression of the chemokines IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10 and monokine induced by IFN-gamma, suggesting that macrophage-derived IFN-gamma can function in an autocrine and/or paracrine manner. The existence of a positive regulatory loop was suggested by the observation that exogenous IFN-gamma protein could induce IFN-gamma mRNA expression in uninfected alveolar macrophages. Interleukin-12 was also found to be a potent inducer of IFN-gamma production, and M. tuberculosis-induced IFN-gamma production appears to be mediated, at least in part, by IL-12. In contrast, M. tuberculosis-induced IFN-gamma production by alveolar macrophages could be blocked by exogenous interleukin-10. These studies are the first to demonstrate an autoregulatory role for IFN-gamma produced by alveolar macrophages infected in vitro with M. tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts 02118, USA. mfenton@bupula.bu.edu
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burdick
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Strieter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kornfeld
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma