Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Distinct IFN-gamma and IL-2 profiles of Ag-specific CD4(+) T cells have recently been associated with different clinical disease states and Ag loads in viral infections. We assessed the kinetics and functional profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ag-specific T cells secreting IFN-gamma and IL-2 in 23 patients with untreated active tuberculosis when bacterial and Ag loads are high and after curative treatment, when Ag load is reduced. The frequencies of M. tuberculosis Ag-specific IFN-gamma-secreting T cells declined during 28 mo of follow-up with an average percentage decline of 5.8% per year (p = 0.005), while the frequencies of Ag-specific IL-2-secreting T cells increased during treatment (p = 0.02). These contrasting dynamics for the two cytokines led to a progressive convergence of the frequencies of IFN-gamma- and IL-2-secreting cells over 28 mo. Simultaneous measurement of IFN-gamma and IL-2 secretion at the single-cell level revealed a codominance of IFN-gamma-only secreting and IFN-gamma/IL-2 dual secreting CD4(+) T cells in active disease that shifted to dominance of IFN-gamma/IL-2-secreting CD4(+) T cells and newly detectable IL-2-only secreting CD4(+) T cells during and after treatment. These distinct T cell functional signatures before and after treatment suggest a novel immunological marker of mycobacterial load and clinical status in tuberculosis that now requires validation in larger prospective studies.

Original publication

DOI

10.4049/jimmunol.178.8.5217

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Immunol

Publication Date

15/04/2007

Volume

178

Pages

5217 - 5226

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antigens, Bacterial, Bacterial Proteins, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-2, Male, Middle Aged, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, T-Lymphocytes