Open Access
03-01-2024 | Tuberculosis | Brief Report
Differences in PPD- and mitogen-induced T-cell activation marker expression characterize immunopathology in acute tuberculosis patients
Authors:
Isaac Acheampong, Difery Minadzi, Edwin F. Laing, Michael Frimpong, Monika M. Vivekanandan, Augustine Yeboah, Ernest Adankwah, Wilfred Aniagyei, Joseph F. Arthur, Millicent Lamptey, Mohammed K. Abass, Francis Kumbel, Francis Osei-Yeboah, Amidu Gawusu, Linda Batsa Debrah, Dorcas O. Owusu, Alexander Debrah, Ertan Mayatepek, Julia Seyfarth, Richard O. Phillips, Marc Jacobsen
Published in:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
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Issue 3/2024
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Abstract
Impaired T-cell responses to mitogens and high T-cell activation marker (TAM) expression on Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific T-cells characterize immunopathology in patients with tuberculosis (TB). In a study of patients with TB (n = 60) and asymptomatic contacts (controls, n = 37), we found that TB patients had higher CD38+ T-cell proportions specific for M. tuberculosis protein (PPDMtb), yet total proportions of PPDMtb-specific T-cells were comparable. Notably, both activated (CD38+) and total IFN-γ+ T-cells from TB patients had lower mitogen (phytohemagglutinin, PHA)-induced responses. This impaired mitogen response improved the classification efficacy of the TAM-TB assay, especially employing the PPD/PHA-induced T-cell ratio.