Modulation of Th1/Tc1 and Th17/Tc17 responses in pulmonary tuberculosis by IL-20 subfamily of cytokines

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2018-08, Vol.108, p.190-196
• Main Authors: Kumar, Nathella Pavan, Moideen, Kadar, Banurekha, Vaithilingam V., Nair, Dina, Babu, Subash
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antigens, Bacterial - pharmacology; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Female; Humans; IL-20 subfamily cytokines; India; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Interleukins - classification; Interleukins - immunology; Latent tuberculosis; Latent Tuberculosis - immunology; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; T cell responses; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th17 Cells - immunology; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2018.04.005

•We have provided complete evidence for the regulatory role of IL-19 and IL-24.•Potent role played by IL-10 in TB infection in response to TB antigens.•Our study discloses a novel role for the IL-20 subfamily cytokines in TB disease.•IL-20 cytokines play crucial role in the modulation of T cell responses in TB disease. Although IL-10 is known to be an important cytokine in the immune response to TB, very little is known about the role of IL-20 subfamily of cytokines in the host response to TB. To identify the role of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells producing IL-20 subfamily of cytokines in human TB, we enumerated the frequencies of IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells following Mtb-specific antigen stimulation of cells from individuals with pulmonary TB (PTB) and latent TB (LTB). We first demonstrated that Mtb-specific antigen induce an expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 in PTB and LTB individuals, with frequencies being significantly higher in PTB. Next, we demonstrated that IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 play an important role in the regulation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing Th1/Tc1 and Th17/Tc17 cytokines in PTB but not LTB individuals. Thus, active PTB is characterized by an IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 mediated down modulation of Th1/Tc1 and/or Th17/Tc17 cytokines in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. This suggests that the IL-20 subfamily of cytokines, similar to IL-10 might play a potentially crucial role in the modulation of T cell responses in active TB disease.