Failure to control growth of mycobacteria in blood from children infected with human immunodeficiency virus and its relationship to T cell function.
The mechanisms of protective immunity to tuberculosis remain poorly understood in humans. A whole-blood infection model that employs a luminescent readout was used to analyze the role of T cells in control of mycobacterial infection. Control of mycobacterial growth in blood from healthy tuberculin-positive individuals was shown to be mediated predominantly by CD4(+) T cells. Comparison of age-matched cohorts of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and -uninfected children from South Africa demonstrated an association between low CD4 cell counts, low interferon (IFN)-gamma production, and impaired ability to regulate growth of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin in blood from HIV-infected children. Impaired control of infection was not reconstituted by the addition of exogenous IFN-gamma. The whole-blood assay provides an important tool for monitoring and dissecting of human immune responses to mycobacterial infection.
Tena
Gwen N
GN
School of Child and Adolescent Health, Red Cross Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa.
Young
Douglas B
DB
Eley
Brian
B
Henderson
Howard
H
Nicol
Mark P
MP
Levin
Mike
M
Kampmann
Beate
B
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology