Potential function of granulysin, other related effector molecules and lymphocyte subsets in patients with TB and HIV/TB coinfection.

Background: Host effector mechanism against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is dependent on innate immune response by macrophages and neutrophils and the alterations in balanced adaptive immunity. Coordinated release of cytolytic effector molecules from NK cells and effector T cells and the subsequent granule-associated killing of infected cells have been documented; however, their role in clinical tuberculosis (TB) is still controversy.

Objective: To investigate whether circulating granulysin and other effector molecules are associated with the number of NK cells, iNKT cells, Vγ9(+)Vδ2(+) T cells, CD4(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells, and such association influences the clinical outcome of the disease in patients with pulmonary TB and HIV/TB coinfection.

Association between circulating full-length osteopontin and IFN-gamma with disease status of tuberculosis and response to successful treatment.

The T helper type 1 (Th1) immune response plays an important role in protective immunity, pathophysiology and development of tuberculosis (TB). To investigate whether osteopontin (OPN) and other Th1 response-related molecules are associated withTB disease status, including co-infection with HIV, and response to anti-TB treatment, circulating levels of full-length OPN (F-OPN), thrombin-cleaved N-terminal fragment of OPN (N-half OPN), IFN-gamma, IP-10, IL-18, IL-12/ IL-23 (p40), IL-10, IL-15 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before and after anti-TB treatment. Patients with newly active pulmonary TB had significantly higher plasma levels of F-OPN, IFN-gamma and CRP than healthy controls (HC).

Decreased plasma granulysin and increased interferon-gamma concentrations in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed tuberculosis.

Granulysin and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) have broad antimicrobial activity which controls Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infection. Circulating granulysin and IFN-γ concentrations were measured and correlated with clinical disease in Thai patients with newly diagnosed, relapsed and chronic tuberculosis (TB).