Factors Associated With In Vitro Interferon-gamma Production in Tuberculosis

• Published in: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association Vol. 110; no. 4; pp. 239 - 246
• Main Authors: Yu, Chung-Chieh, Liu, Yu-Chih, Chu, Chien-Ming, Chuang, Duen-Yau, Wu, Wen-Chen, Wu, Huang-Pin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Elsevier B.V 01.04.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; interferon-gamma; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; interleukin-10; Interleukin-10 - biosynthesis; interleukin-12; Interleukin-12 - biosynthesis; interleukin-18; Interleukin-18 - biosynthesis; Internal Medicine; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - immunology; interleukin-18; interferon-gamma; interleukin-10; tuberculosis; interleukin-12
• ISSN: 0929-6646
• DOI: 10.1016/S0929-6646(11)60036-3

Macrophage activation assisted by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a primary mechanism by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis is killed, but IFN-γ (production is inhibited in tuberculosis (TB) patients. The production of IFN-γ is influenced by many factors, such as interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, IL-18, and clinical diseases; but the relative importance of each factor is unclear. We evaluated the effects of these factors in 46 healthy individuals, 81 patients with TB, and 88 patients with non-TB pneumonia. The responses of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-18 were determined from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). General linear model analysis showed that disease status and IL-12 response were the independent factors associated with the IFN-γ response. The production of IFN-γ was not affected by IL-10 and IL-18. There was a significant relationship between the IFN-γ response and the IL-12 response among patients with non-TB pneumonia, patients with TB, and healthy participants (Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.466, 0.483, and 0.464, respectively). Production of IFN-γ in PBMCs was associated with active pulmonary TB and IL-12 response.