title: Decreased IFN- gamma and increased IL-4 production by human CD8(+) T cells in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in tuberculosis patients.
abstract: To investigate the role of MHC class I restricted CD8(+) T cells in host defense to M. tuberculosis, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy BCG-vaccinated donors and untreated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in The Gambia were stimulated for 6 days with M. bovis BCG or M. tuberculosis and the CD8(+) T cell response analyzed. Intracellular FACS analysis of cytokine production by CD8(+) T cells showed that IFN- gamma and TNF- alpha production were greatly reduced in TB patients compared to healthy controls. IL-4-producing CD8(+) T cells were detected in TB patients, a phenotype absent in controls. Collectively, these data suggest that an alteration in the type 1/type 2 cytokine balance occurs in CD8(+) T cells during clinical tuberculosis, and that this may provide a surrogate marker for disease.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Malin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sillah
authors.forename: K P W J
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: McAdam
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dockrell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma