title: Specific Mycobacterium tuberculosis T cell responses to RD1-selected peptides for the monitoring of anti-tuberculosis therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, a selection of HLA class II-restricted epitopes of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins from the region of difference (RD) 1 have been described. We have evaluated the host interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) T cell response to these RD1 selected peptides at the beginning and during anti-tuberculosis therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 29 pulmonary TB patients enrolled at the beginning of treatment and 24 enrolled during treatment. We performed T-SPOT.TB and ELISPOT with RD1 selected peptides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients included at the beginning of treatment responded producing IFN-γ after antigen stimulation in 89.7% by means of T-SPOT.TB and 79.3% by means of RD1 selected ELISPOT. In contrast, for patients included during treatment the percentages were 87.5% and 25%, respectively. Differences in sensitivities between patients evaluated at the beginning and during treatment were only significant for RD1 selected ELISPOT (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The host immune response to RD1 selected peptides is lower than to T-SPOT.TB during therapy. Immunological assays based on RD1 selected peptides may be useful tools for studying the immune response during anti-tuberculosis therapy.
authors.affiliation: Servei de Microbiologia, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: Neus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Altet
authors.forename: Malú
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Souza-Galvão
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Manzano
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacoma
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prat
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ausina
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D058501:Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C117940:CFP-10 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; C093276:ESAT-6 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D010455:Peptides; D007371:Interferon-gamma