ABSTRACT

Background: The effectors cytotoxic molecules like granzima B (GrB), participate in the defense at the infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), nevertheless, has not been studied their participation in the control of the infection with M. tuberculosis in the human.
Methods: The production of GrB and IFNα in mononuclear cells of peripheral blood cells and bronchoalveolar cells from healthy donors PPD+ and PPD- was assessed by ELISPOT and cellular activation was analyzed by FACS.
Results: M. tuberculosis, and PPD, induces the IFNα production by mononuclear cells and bronchoalveolar cells. The frequency of producing cells of GrB in mononuclear and bronchoalveolar cells was low when comparing itself with the producing cells of IFNα.
Conclusions: The frequency of producing cells of IFN-α was higher in mononuclear and bronchoalveolar cells from healthy donors PPD+ in comparison with PPD-. In contrast the frequency of producing cells of GrB was low and comparable in both groups. These results suggest that the previous exposition to M. tuberculosis induces the activation of the acquired mechanisms as IFN-α without the participation of cytotoxic mechanisms. The determination of IFN-α by ELISPOT could be a useful biomarker to the study of immune protection in human tuberculosis.

KEYWORDS

Granzima B, interferon gamma, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

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