BCG (Bacille of Calmette-Guérin) revaccination leads to improved in vitro IFN-gamma response to mycobacterial antigen independent of tuberculin sensitization in Brazilian school-age children.
Tuberculin skin test (TST) response and cytokine production in finger stab-derived whole blood cultures from 136 BCG scar-positive school-age children were evaluated before and after BCG revaccination. Fifty-four percent of the children increased in vitro production of IFN-gamma after revaccination, and this increase was highly significant for previously unresponsive children (P<0.0001). No correlation was found between TST response and cytokine production. Our data suggest that the in vitro IFN-gamma response to mycobacterial antigens can be boosted by BCG revaccination and may contribute to the search of correlates of protection to be used for the evaluation of new mycobacterial vaccines.
Barbosa
Theolis
T
Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Rua Waldemar Falcão 121, 40295-001 Salvador, BA, Brazil. theolis@cpqgm.fiocruz.br
Arruda
Sérgio
S
Fernandes
Bruno D
BD
Carvalho
Lucas P
LP
Cardoso
Silvia
S
Cunha
Sérgio
S
Barreto
Maurício L
ML
Pereira
Susan M
SM
Rodrigues
Laura C
LC
Barral-Netto
Manoel
M
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D014374:Tuberculin Test
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D016207:Cytokines; D007371:Interferon-gamma