title: The immune response to tuberculosis infection in the setting of Helicobacter pylori and helminth infections.
abstract: We screened 176 healthy, adult (aged 18-55 years) US refugees from tuberculosis (TB)-endemic countries to evaluate whether cytokine responses to latent TB infection (LTBI) are modified in the setting of concurrent H. pylori and helminth infection. As measured by the Quantiferon-TB GOLD interferon-γ release assay, a total 38 (22%) subjects had LTBI, of which 28 (74%) also were H. pylori seropositive and/or helminth infected. Relative to ten subjects with LTBI only, 16 subjects with concurrent H. pylori infection had significantly elevated levels of IFN-γ, and nine subjects with both H. pylori and helminth infection had significantly elevated levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-13, and IL-5. H. pylori is associated with enhanced IFN-γ responses to TB, even in the setting of concurrent helminth infection. Efficacy of TB vaccines may vary with the co-existence of these three infections in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. shnperry@stanford.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Haggerty
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parsonnet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D060085:Coinfection / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007371:Interferon-gamma