Bacillus Calmette Guerin vaccination of human newborns induces a specific, functional CD8+ T cell response.
Mounting evidence points to CD8+ T cells playing an important role in protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The only available vaccine against tuberculosis, bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG), has traditionally been viewed not to induce these cells optimally. In this study, we show that vaccination of human newborns with BCG does indeed induce a specific CD8+ T cell response. These cells degranulated or secreted IFN-gamma, but not both, when infant blood was incubated with BCG. This stimulation also resulted in proliferation and up-regulation of cytotoxic molecules. Overall, the specific CD8+ T cell response was quantitatively smaller than the BCG-induced CD4+ T cell response. Incubation of whole blood with M. tuberculosis also caused CD8+ T cell IFN-gamma expression. We conclude that BCG induces a robust CD8+ T cell response, which may contribute to vaccination-induced protection against tuberculosis.
Murray
Rose Ann
RA
Public Health Research Institute, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
Mansoor
Nazma
N
Harbacheuski
Ryhor
R
Soler
Jorge
J
Davids
Virginia
V
Soares
Andreia
A
Hawkridge
Anthony
A
Hussey
Gregory D
GD
Maecker
Holden
H
Kaplan
Gilla
G
Hanekom
Willem A
WA
D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D007371:Interferon-gamma