Cytokine production and mRNA expression in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and their household contacts of younger age group (15–25years)

• Published in: Journal of immunological methods Vol. 432; pp. 65 - 71
• Main Authors: Joshi, Lavanya, Ponnana, Meenakshi, Sivangala, Ramya, Chelluri, Lakshmi Kiran, Nallari, Pratibha, Valluri, Vijaya Lakshmi, Gaddam, Sumanlatha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Case-Control Studies; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Contact Tracing; Cytokines; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - metabolism; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Household contacts; Housing; Humans; Interferon-gamma Release Tests; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - microbiology; Logistic Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium bovis - immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - pathogenicity; Predictive Value of Tests; r32kd M. bovis BCG; Risk Factors; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - genetics; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - immunology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - metabolism; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - microbiology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - transmission; Young Adult; Cytokines; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Household contacts; r32kd M. bovis BCG
• ISSN: 0022-1759; 1872-7905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2016.02.012

Household contacts of tuberculosis patients are at high risk of infection and development of active disease. In this study we evaluated the cytokine production and mRNA expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10&IL-6 stimulated with r32kDa M. bovis BCGAg in active pulmonary tuberculosis patients (APTB), household contacts (HHC) and healthy controls (HC). The results showed the stimulated levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were low while IL-10 levels were high in APTB and HHC compared to HC. IL-6 has not shown any significant difference. The mRNA expression of TNF- α was 8 fold high in HCs compared to APTB and HHC. The IL-6 expression was 2.2 fold &1 fold less in APTB and HHC compared to HCs. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that the stimulated levels of IFN-γ & IL-6 and sex significantly predicted the HHC group from HCs at p<0.05.In conclusion further follow up studies with r32kd antigen might help to identify the high risk individuals. •Th1 and Th2 cytokines associated with the disease were studied in patients and household contacts.•Cytokine levels in culture supernatants of patients and household contacts were found to be nearly similar.•In the study two patients turned into relapse within a year and two contacts developed active TB after 1year.•Cytokine levels and their expression may determine the presence of infection in household contacts.