Immunological protection against tuberculosis
Hanekom, W.A.; Abel, B.; Scriba, T.J.
South African Medical Journal 97(10 Pt 2): 973-977
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 18000583 Document Number: 204746
Ninety per cent of humans never develop tuberculosis (TB) disease following infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This implies that most of us have inherent immune capacity to protect us against TB. Persons who do develop disease are likely to be overtly immune compromised by HIV infection, or relatively immune compromised by the low socio-economic conditions that characterise many TB patients' backgrounds. From an epidemiological perspective, it is therefore likely that immune suppression, rather than an inherently inadequate immune system, is the most important determinant of predisposition to disease. However, on an individual basis, immunocompetent persons may still develop TB disease, albeit less frequently, and virulence characteristics of the infecting pathogen may confound the scenario.The immunological basis of development of disease in 10% of people following infection with M. tuberculosis remains incompletely understood. This review focuses on what we know, as a brief introduction aimed at non-immunologists. Excellent and more comprehensive reviews on this topic already exist.(1-4)