Susceptibility to pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex may reflect low IL-17 and high IL-10 responses rather than Th1 deficiency.
It remains unclear why some individuals and not others are susceptible to non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTMLD). To determine whether NTMLD is associated with defects or biases in Th1/Th2/Th17 immunity, blood leukocytes from NTM patients with nodular bronchiectasis, their adult offspring, and healthy population controls were stimulated with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), tuberculin and sensitin to measure cytokine production. In response to SEB, NTM patients exhibited higher frequencies of IFNγ-producing CD4(+) T cells than population controls (P<0.001). In supernatant, levels of IL-17 were lower in patients than adult offspring. Sensitin elicited higher IFNγ responses from patients than controls (P<0.05). Patients also produced more IL-10 in supernatant than controls after culture with tuberculin (P<0.01) or sensitin (P<0.05), but IL-10-producing CD4(+) T cells were undetectable. NTMLD is not associated with deficient IFNγ production, but may be associated with reduced Th17 immunity and/or a predisposition towards IL-10 production from non-CD4(+) T cells.
Lim
Andrew
A
University of Western Australia, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Royal Perth Hospital campus), Level 2 Medical Research Foundation Building, Rear of 50 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, 6000. andrew.lim@uwa.edu.au
Allison
Caris
C
Price
Patricia
P
Waterer
Grant
G
D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology*; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D004768:Enterotoxins; C508599:IL5 protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015848:Interleukin-5; D014373:Tuberculin; C012031:sensitin; D016753:Interleukin-10; C031818:enterotoxin B, staphylococcal; D007371:Interferon-gamma