[Study on specific cellular immunity of enhance intracellular survival antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the level of specific cellular immunity in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and its potential relationship with severity of the disease.


METHODS
Thirty active pulmonary tuberculosis patients with positive tubercle bacilli in sputum were enrolled for the study. Immune responses including lymphocytes proliferation enhanced by enhance intracellular survival (EIS) antigen and cytokine production including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-10 (IL-10), were assayed. Cell proliferation was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), while cytokine production was quantified by enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). The results were compared to those of 20 healthy individuals and 16 persons recovered from tuberculosis.


RESULTS
Cell proliferation response and IFN-gamma production were significantly higher in patients convalescent from tuberculosis compared to patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, EIS antigen was found to elicit a dominant Th2 cytokine response.


CONCLUSIONS
Impaired Th1 immune response to EIS is observed in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Induction of imbalance of Th1/Th2 immune response may be the main action of EIS, which may be a factor of pathogenesis of tuberculosis.
Wang
Huo-sheng
HS
Shenzhen East Lake Hospital, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China.
Chen
Xin-chun
XC
Li
Mei-zhong
MZ
Zhang
Wei
W
Deng
Qun-yi
QY
Fu
Xiang-dong
XD
Zhang
Hong-mei
HM
Wang
Hui
H
Zhou
Bo-ping
BP
D000123:Acetyltransferases; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000123:Acetyltransferases; C430563:Eis protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis