title: Immune response to mycobacterial infection: lessons from flow cytometry.
abstract: Detecting and treating active and latent tuberculosis are pivotal elements for effective infection control; yet, due to their significant inherent limitations, the diagnostic means for these two stages of tuberculosis (TB) to date remain suboptimal. This paper reviews the current diagnostic tools for mycobacterial infection and focuses on the application of flow cytometry as a promising method for rapid and reliable diagnosis of mycobacterial infection as well as discrimination between active and latent TB: it summarizes diagnostic biomarkers distinguishing the two states of infection and also features of the distinct immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) at certain stages of infection as revealed by flow cytometry to date.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and "Sotiria" Chest Disease Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rovina
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Pulmonology, Sismanoglio General Hospital, 15126 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panagiotou
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and "Sotiria" Chest Disease Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pontikis
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and "Sotiria" Chest Disease Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Magdalini
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyriakopoulou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and "Sotiria" Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Koulouris
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and "Sotiria" Chest Disease Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, 11527 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutsoukou
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers