title: Immunophenotypic and intracellular cytokine profile of Indian patients with tuberculosis with and without human immunodeficiency virus co-infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) occurs in more than 50% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected Indian patients. This study was carried out to determine the immunophenotypic and intracellular cytokine profile of patients with HIV-TB co-infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with HIV-TB co-infection and 15 each with TB alone and healthy individuals were studied. Immunophenotypic analysis and intracellular cytokines were measured using appropriate antibodies on a flowcytometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Percentage of CD3+ did not differ significantly in the three groups. The ratio of CD4+ : CD8+ was reversed among patients with TB and HIV-TB. CD19+ and CD25+ were present on fewer cells of healthy individuals but this was not statistically significant. Significantly higher percentage of cells of patients with TB and HIV-TB were CD69 positive. Interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels are significantly reduced in the CD4+ cells of patients with HIV-TB when compared with those with TB and healthy individuals. In CD8+ cells of patients with HIV-TB, levels of TNF-alpha are higher when compared with the other two groups. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) producing cells were not significantly different in any of the above subsets. Monocytes in individuals with HIV-TB had significantly higher interleukin-6 (IL-6) and TNF-alpha.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T-helper cells among patients with HIV-TB have significantly lower cytokine production. T-suppressor cells and monocytes produce more TNF-alpha. These findings may be significant in view of recent attempts to treat HIV-TB coinfected patients with anti-TNF therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. awanchu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wanchu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Talreja
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sapra
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Suryanarayana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suresh
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines