T Cell Reactivity against Mycolyl Transferase Antigen 85 of M. tuberculosis in HIV-TB Coinfected Subjects and in AIDS Patients Suffering from Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections

• Published in: Clinical & developmental immunology Vol. 2011; no. 2011; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Launois, Pascal, Drowart, Annie, Bourreau, Eliane, Couppie, Pierre, Farber, Claire-Michèle, Van Vooren, Jean-Paul, Huygen, Kris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Puplishing Corporation 2011; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Acyltransferases - immunology; AIDS; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - immunology; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - microbiology; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Belgium; Clinical Study; French Guiana; HIV; HIV - physiology; HIV Infections - complications; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - virology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Immunologic Memory; Immunology; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Mycobacterium Infections - complications; Mycobacterium Infections - immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; Proteins; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Tuberculin Test; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - complications; Tuberculosis - immunology; Tuberculosis - microbiology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - complications; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - immunology; Belgium; French Guiana
• ISSN: 1740-2522; 2314-8861; 1740-2530; 1740-2530; 2314-7156
• DOI: 10.1155/2011/640309

The mycolyl transferase antigen 85 complex is a major secreted protein family from mycobacterial culture filtrate, demonstrating powerful T cell stimulatory properties in most HIV-negative, tuberculin-positive volunteers with latent M.tuberculosis infection and only weak responses in HIV-negative tuberculosis patients. Here, we have analyzed T cell reactivity against PPD and Ag85 in HIV-infected individuals, without or with clinical symptoms of tuberculosis, and in AIDS patients with disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria. Whereas responses to PPD were not significantly different in HIV-negative and HIV-positive tuberculin-positive volunteers, responses to Ag85 were significantly decreased in the HIV-positive (CDC-A and CDC-B) group. Tuberculosis patients demonstrated low T cell reactivity against Ag85, irrespective of HIV infection, and finally AIDS patients suffering from NTM infections were completely nonreactive to Ag85. A one-year follow-up of twelve HIV-positive tuberculin-positive individuals indicated a decreased reactivity against Ag85 in patients developing clinical tuberculosis, highlighting the protective potential of this antigen.