title: [The role of human dendritic cells in tuberculosis: protector or non-protector?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis remains a pathogenic organism capable of infecting a large number of individuals and of resisting the immune response of the infected host. The main constituents of this response are the antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages and T lymphocytes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Comparative study of the interactions between M. tuberculosis and the antigen presenting cells has shown that dendritic cells do not permit intracellular growth of M. tuberculosis, unlike that seen in macrophages. A hostile intracellular compartment creates a bacteriostatic environment. M. tuberculosis is internalised by binding to a C-type lectin receptor (DC-SIGN).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This receptor recognises polysaccharide compounds on the surface of M. tuberculosis. This sugar-lectin bond may compensate for the bond between bacterial compounds and Toll receptors, partially inhibiting the protective inflammatory reaction or compensating for an excessive inflammatory reaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This bond encourages both the persistence of quiescent bacteria in the dendritic cells and the reciprocal adaptation of the host and the bacteria over the course of time.
authors.affiliation: Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France. jean-louis.hermann@sls.aphp.fr
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tailleux
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nigou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giquel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puzo
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lagrange
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Neyrolles
mesh_terms: D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors