CD69 Expression on CD4+ T Lymphocytes after In Vitro Stimulation with Tuberculin Is an Indicator of Immune Sensitization against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

American Society for Microbiology

RESUMO

The expression of the CD69 antigen on CD4 T lymphocytes after in vitro stimulation with purified protein derivative (2 tuberculin units) was used to evaluate the tuberculin reactivities of 52 individuals from four experimental groups: Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated healthy individuals with a negative tuberculin skin test (TST) result (group A), BCG-vaccinated healthy individuals with a positive TST result (group B), patients with active tuberculosis (TB) before treatment (group C), and individuals with clinically inactive TB who had previously completed a prescribed course of chemotherapy (group D). The expression of CD69 on CD4 T lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients with active TB (16.2% ± 7.3%), individuals with clinically inactive TB (10.5% ± 7.4%), and healthy individuals with a positive TST result (15.5% ± 7.2%) than in healthy individuals with a negative TST result (3.8% ± 4.3%) (P < 0.005). We confirmed the correlation between CD69 antigen expression on T lymphocytes after stimulation with tuberculin and the TST induration diameter (Spearman rho = 0.783; P < 0.001), an assay for gamma interferon (the Quantiferon-TB assay; Spearman rho = 0.613; P < 0.001), and the lymphocyte BLAST transformation test (Spearman rho = 0.537; P < 0.001). Our results demonstrate the usefulness of the determination of CD69 on CD4 T lymphocytes after in vitro stimulation with tuberculin as a rapid indicator of immune sensitization against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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