Cytometric detection of antigen-specific IFN-gamma/IL-2 secreting cells in the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to further characterize the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens, in order to provide new insight into host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis (TB), and to offer tools for a more accurate diagnosis of the different stages of TB.


METHODS
T-cell responses to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), purified protein derivative (PPD), early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) protein and culture filtrate protein-10 kDa (CFP-10) were measured in terms of interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-2 release, using a novel flow cytometric cell-secreting cytokine detection technique. The study was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from active TB patients, latently TB infected individuals, and healthy donors. IL-10 and IL-17 were also measured to test their possible role as indicators of disease activity.


RESULTS
We confirmed that the enumeration of IFN-gamma releasing cells upon Mtb-specific stimulation is sufficient to identify TB patients and that CD8+ T cells concur to IFN-gamma secretion. IL-2 secreting cells were more frequently observed in latent TB infected individuals compared to active TB patients, suggesting that measurement of cells secreting this cytokine could be a marker of disease stage. No discriminating role was associated to IL-10 and IL-17 release in TB patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that the flow cytometric cytokine-secreting cell detection technique may be envisaged as an additional tool for TB diagnosis allowing the analysis of the immune response to M. tuberculosis-related antigens in the different stages of TB.
Sargentini
Valeria
V
Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie e Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Roma, Italy. valeria.sargentini@iss.it
Mariotti
Sabrina
S
Carrara
Stefania
S
Gagliardi
Maria Cristina
MC
Teloni
Raffaela
R
Goletti
Delia
D
Nisini
Roberto
R
D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D020381:Interleukin-17; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; C072681:Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens; D007371:Interferon-gamma