Different cytokine production and effector/memory dynamics of alpha beta+ or gamma delta+ T-cell subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.
Immunity to M.tuberculosis (MTB) infection consists of interactions between various T-cell subsets that control the infection and prevent further reactivation. We analysed the effector/memory T-cell dynamics and cytokines production in the peripheral blood of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). We observed that the frequency of CD4+ T-cell effectors was significantly increased during active TB, confirming a major role of this T-cell subset in TB immunity. Pre-terminally differentiated CD8+ T-lymphocytes were increased in the peripheral blood as well. In contrast, we observed a reduced number of effector mycobacteria-reactive gammadelta+ T-lymphocytes with a specific defects in reacting to mycobacterial nonpeptidic antigens, suggesting that this innate response is rapidly lost during TB infection. Nevertheless, the frequency of gammadelta+ T-cells effectors in TB patients was higher than the alphabeta+ T-cell response to peptide from MTB-ESAT-6 protein and quantitatively similar to PPD reactivity. Thus, alphabeta+ and gammadelta+ T-cell differentiation and function are differently triggered by active TB infection.
Gioia
C
C
Lab. Clinical Pathology, I.N.M.I., IRCCS, Rome, Italy. gioia@inmi.it
Agrati
C
C
Goletti
D
D
Vincenti
D
D
Carrara
S
S
Amicosante
M
M
Casarini
M
M
Giosue
S
S
Puglisi
G
G
Rossi
A
A
Colizzi
V
V
Pucillo
L P
LP
Poccia
F
F
D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000097:blood*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000097:blood*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta