Mycobacterial T cell responses in HIV-infected patients with advanced immunosuppression
Hammond, A.S.; McConkey, S.J.; Hill, P.C.; Crozier, S.; Klein, M.èl.R.; Adegbola, R.A.; Rowland-Jones, S.; Brookes, R.H.; Whittle, H.; Jaye, A.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 197(2): 295-299
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1899 PMID: 18194089 DOI: 10.1086/524685Document Number: 200023
Antimycobacterial T cell reactivity at different stages of HIV infection was investigated. Subjects were screened with purified protein derivative (PPD), early secreted antigenic target (ESAT)-6, and culture filtrate protein (CFP)-10 antigens for interferon (IFN)-gamma-producing effector T cell responses by direct ex vivo enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. The proportion of responders to PPD tuberculin decreased with a reduction in CD4 T cell count, whereas the proportion of responder to ESAT-6 and CFP-10 did not. The main sources of IFN-gamma secretion were CD4 cells, and the relative responses to ESAT-6 and CFP-10 significantly increased in HIV-infected patients with decreasing CD4 cell count. This may reflect early signs of reactivation, reinfection, or a restricted, inefficient immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.