Enhanced Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens by Human Alveolar Lymphocytes during Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1998-11, Vol.178 (5), p.1434-1445
• Main Authors: Schwander, Stephan K., Torres, Martha, Sada, Eduardo, Carranza, Claudia, Ramos, Esther, Tary-Lehmann, Magdalena, Wallis, Robert S., Sierra, Juan, Rich, Elizabeth A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; AIDS/HIV; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood cells; Cell Compartmentation; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Lipopolysaccharides - immunology; Lungs; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes - immunology; Macrophages, Alveolar - immunology; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; Pulmonary Alveoli - cytology; Pulmonary Alveoli - immunology; Pulmonary tuberculosis; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th1 Cells - metabolism; Tuberculin; Tuberculin - immunology; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - immunology
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/314454

Responses to mycobacterial and nonmycobacterial antigens were examined in bronchoalveolar cells (BAC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 16) and healthy subjects (n = 23). DNA synthesis in BAC (but not PBMC) from tuberculosis patients was significantly increased in response to the mycobacterial antigens purified protein derivative (PPD), antigen 85, and mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan but not to nonmycobacterial antigens. The response to PPD was also increased in enriched alveolar lymphocytes from tuberculosis patients (P < .05). The frequency of interferon-γ but not interleukin-4- or -10—producing cells by ELISAspot was increased in PPD-stimulated BAC from patients with tuberculosis (P < .05). Accessory function of alveolar macrophages for T lymphocyte responses was similar and suppressive activity was variably decreased in tuberculosis patients. Thus, there is compartmentalization of mycobacterial antigen-specific lymphocytes to the lungs during active tuberculosis that on challenge produce a Th1-type cytokine host response.