title: Defective T cell function for inhibition of growth of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) in patients with MAC disease: restoration by cytokines.
abstract: To define the immunopathologic mechanism underlying pulmonary Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) disease in patients without AIDS, the ability of CD4(+) and gammadelta T cells to induce growth inhibition of MAC in monocytes was compared between patients and healthy control subjects. T cell-dependent growth inhibition and production of interferon-gamma and macrophage colony-stimulating factor decreased in patients. CD4(+) T and gammadelta T cells from patients were equally defective in inducing anti-MAC activity. The combination of these cytokines restored the ability of patients' T cells to control MAC growth. In experiments with allogeneic cocultures of gammadelta T cells and infected monocytes from patients and control subjects, healthy control T cells could augment growth inhibition of MAC in monocytes from patients, whereas patients' T cells could not, even in the presence of healthy control monocytes. These results indicate that the defect in T cells may be associated with impaired protective immunity against MAC in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan. ktsuka@nmu-gw.naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsukaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000276:immunology*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007371:Interferon-gamma