Filarial infection modulates the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis through expansion of CD4+ IL-4 memory T cells.

ABSTRACT: Exaggerated CD4(+) T helper 2-specific cytokine producing memory T cell responses developing concomitantly with a T helper 1 response might have a detrimental role in immunity to infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To assess the dynamics of Ag-specific memory T cell compartments in the context of filarial infection, we used multiparameter flow cytometry on PBMCs from 25 microfilaremic filarial-infected (Inf) and 14 filarial-uninfected (Uninf) subjects following stimulation with filarial Ag (BmA) or with the M. tuberculosis-specific Ag culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10). Our data demonstrated that the Inf group had a marked increase in BmA-specific CD4(+)IL-4(+) cells (median net frequency compared with baseline [Fo] = 0.09% versus 0.01%; p = 0.038) but also to CFP-10 (Fo = 0.

SUBMITTER: Chatterjee S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4355384 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature