Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
The identification of Mycobacterium-tuberculosis (Mtb) infected individuals remains a challenge due to an insufficient understanding of immune responses detected with the current diagnostic tests for latent tuberculosis i.e. the tuberculin skin test (TST) or IFN-? release assays (IGRAs) and an inability to distinguish infection stages with current immunologic assays. Further classification based on markers other than IFN-? may help to define markers of early Mtb infection.Methods
We assessed the TST status of Mtb-exposed household contacts at baseline and at 6 months. Contacts were classified into those with initial positive TST (TST+); those with baseline negative TST but TST conversion at 6 months (TST converters, TSTC) and those with persistently negative TST (PTST-). We assessed their short- and long-term immune responses to PPD and ESAT-6/CFP-10 (EC) via IFN-? ELISPOT and a multiplex cytokine array in relation to TST status and compared them to those of TB cases to identify immune profiles associated with a spectrum of infection stages.Results
After 1 and 6 days stimulation with EC, 12 cytokines (IFN-?, IL-2, IP-10, TNF-?, IL-13, IL-17, IL-10, GMCSF, MIP-1?, MCP-3, IL-2RA and IL-1A) were not different in TSTC compared to TST+ suggesting that robust adaptive Mtb-specific immune responses precede TST conversion. Stratifying contacts by baseline IFN-? ELISPOT to EC in combination with TST results revealed that IP-10 and IL-17 were highest in the group of TST converters with positive baseline ELISPOT, suggesting they might be markers for recent infection.Conclusion
We describe a detailed analysis of Mtb-specific biomarker profiles in exposed household contacts in a TB endemic area that provides insights into the dynamic immune responses to Mtb infection and may help to identify biomarkers for 'at-risk' populations beyond TST and IGRA.
SUBMITTER: Buchwald UK
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4280211 | biostudies-literature | 2014
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
PloS one 20141230 12
<h4>Background</h4>The identification of Mycobacterium-tuberculosis (Mtb) infected individuals remains a challenge due to an insufficient understanding of immune responses detected with the current diagnostic tests for latent tuberculosis i.e. the tuberculin skin test (TST) or IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) and an inability to distinguish infection stages with current immunologic assays. Further classification based on markers other than IFN-γ may help to define markers of early Mtb infection.<h4> ...[more]