In vivo expression of innate immunity markers in patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
BACKGROUND
Toll-like receptors (TLRs), Coronin-1 and Sp110 are essential factors for the containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo expression of these molecules at different stages of the infection and uncover possible relationships between these markers and the state of the disease.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with active tuberculosis, 15 close contacts of subjects with latent disease, 17 close contacts of subjects negative for mycobacterium antigens and 10 healthy, unrelated to patients, subjects were studied. Quantitative mRNA expression of Coronin-1, Sp110, TLRs-1,-2,-4 and -6 was analysed in total blood cells vs an endogenous house-keeping gene.


RESULTS
The mRNA expression of Coronin-1, Sp110 and TLR-2 was significantly higher in patients with active tuberculosis and subjects with latent disease compared to the uninfected ones. Positive linear correlation for the expression of those factors was only found in the infected populations.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the up-regulation of Coronin-1 and Sp110, through a pathway that also includes TLR-2 up-regulation may be involved in the process of tuberculous infection in humans. However, further studies are needed, in order to elucidate whether the selective upregulation of these factors in the infected patients could serve as a specific molecular marker of tuberculosis.
Constantoulakis
Pantelis
P
Locus Medicus, Molecular Pathology and Genetics Dept., Athens, Greece.
Filiou
Eftihia
E
Rovina
Nikoletta
N
Chras
George
G
Hamhougia
Aggeliki
A
Karabela
Simona
S
Sotiriou
Adamandia
A
Roussos
Charis
C
Poulakis
Nikolaos
N
D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D054378:Acetogenins
D015107:4-Butyrolactone; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; C412425:Sp110 protein, human; C438920:coronin acetogenin; D054378:Acetogenins