Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is still remaining one of the most widespread infectious diseases. Pathogenesis and disease course are in part determined by immune system impairments specifically by the defective antigenspecific T-cell response. The deficiency of antigen-specific response in patients with TB is manifested by skin test anergy to tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD), as well as decrease of T-cell proliferation and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production in PPD-stimulated cultures. The suppression of antigen-specific immune response is registered on average in 40% of TB patients, and is associated with anergy and increased T-cells apoptosis, as well as generation of regulatory T-cells. One of the possible causes of impaired cell immunity in pulmonary TB may be the defect of dendritic cells (DCs), known to be the most potent professional cells, capable of antigen presentation and activation of naive T-cells.
Last date updated on April, 2024
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