title: Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific memory NKT cells in patients with tuberculous pleurisy.
abstract: Natural killer T (NKT) cells from mouse and human play a protective role in the immune responses against the infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the characteristic of CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells at the local site of M. tuberculosis infection remains poorly defined. In the present study, we found that the numbers of CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells in pleural fluid mononuclear cells (PFMCs) were significantly lower than those in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). However, CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells from PFMCs spontaneously expressed high levels of CD69 and CD25 and effector memory phenotypes of CD45RO(high)CD62L(low)CCR7(low). After stimulation with the antigens of M. tuberculosis, CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells from PFMCs produced high levels of IFN-γ. Sorted CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells from PFMCs cultured with antigen presenting cells (APCs) produced IFN-γ protein and mRNA. The production of IFN-γ could be completely inhibited by AG490 and Wortmannin. In addition, CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells from PFMCs expressed higher levels of Fas (CD95), FasL (CD178) and perforin but lower levels of granzyme B compared with those from PBMCs. Taken together, our data demonstrated for the first time that M. tuberculosis-specific CD3(+)TCRvβ11(+) NKT cells participated in the local immune responses against M. tuberculosis through the production of IFN-γ and the secretion of cytolytic molecules.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Zhongshan School of Medicine; Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control Research of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zitao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Binyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yannan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiangjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xinchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Suihua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.forename: Baiqing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Changyou
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000097:blood; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D017260:Receptor-CD3 Complex, Antigen, T-Cell; D007371:Interferon-gamma