title: Tuberculosis patients are characterized by a low-IFN-γ/high-TNF-α response to methylated HBHA produced in M. smegmatis.
abstract: Whole blood from Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected subjects was stimulated with heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA). Tuberculosis (TB) patients showed an HBHA-specific T-cell response characterized by low-IFN-γ/high-TNF-α secretion, while asymptomatic subjects with latent infection (LTBI) and TB patients under therapy showed a pattern with high IFN-γ/low TNF-α. These results underscore the usefulness of HBHA in helping to distinguish LTBI subjects versus TB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molicotti
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bua
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cubeddu
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cannas
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delogu
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zanetti
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000235:genetics; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C440647:HbhA protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma