title: Multifunctional CD4 T cell responses in patients with active tuberculosis.
abstract: The roles of multifunctional CD4 T cells in human tuberculosis are not well defined. In this study, we found that patients with tuberculosis had decreased PMA/ionomycin stimulated multifunctional CD4 T cells, and increased Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific multifunctional CD4 T cells, when compared to individuals with latent tuberculosis infection and healthy controls. PMA/ionomycin stimulated IFN-γ+IL-2+TNF-α+ CD4 T cell responses were decreased in patients with smear-positive tuberculosis compared to those with smear-negative tuberculosis. The percentage of IFN-γ+IL-2+TNF-α+ CD4 T cells in smear positive tuberculosis patients negatively correlated with the grade of sputum smear Acid-Fast Bacilli and high-resolution computed tomography score. Therefore, our findings argue against the notion that Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific multifunctional Th1 responses in peripheral blood can serve as correlates of protective immunity against tuberculosis; they suggest that the decrease in PMA/ionomycin stimulated IFN-γ+IL-2+TNF-α+ CD4 T cells may be applied for clinical diagnosis of active tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Diagnosis &Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Shenzhen, 518020, China.
authors.forename: Zhengang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Mingxia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Feiqun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Puxuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Haiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Graner
authors.forename: Boping
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015759:Ionomycin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate