Modulation of Th1/Tc1 and Th17/Tc17 responses in pulmonary tuberculosis by IL-20 subfamily of cytokines.

Kumar, N.P.; Moideen, K.; Banurekha, V.V.; Nair, D.; Babu, S .

Cytokine; 2018; 108; 190-196.

Abstract: Although IL-10 is known to be an important cytokine in the immune response to TB, very little is known about the role of IL-20 subfamily of cytokines in the host response to TB. To identify the role of CD4 + T and CD8 + T cells producing IL-20 subfamily of cytokines in human TB, we enumerated the frequencies of IL-10, IL-19 and IL24 expressing CD4+ and CD8 + T cells following Mtb-speci?c antigen stimulation of cells from individuals with pulmonary TB (PTB) and latent TB (LTB). We ?rst demonstrated that Mtb-speci?c antigen induce an expansion of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells expressing IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 in PTB and LTB individuals, with frequencies being signi?cantly higher in PTB. Next, we demonstrated that IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 play an important role in the regulation of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells expressing Th1/Tc1 and Th17/Tc17 cytokines in PTB but not LTB individuals. Thus, active PTB is characterized by an IL-10, IL-19 and IL-24 mediated down modulation of Th1/Tc1 and/or Th17/Tc17 cytokines in CD4 + and CD8 + T cell subsets. This suggests that the IL-20 subfamily of cytokines, similar to IL-10 might play a potentially crucial role in the modulation of T cell responses in active TB disease.

Keywords: Tuberculosis; Latent tuberculosis; IL-20 subfamily cytokines; T cell responses

Back to List of publications / Home