The clinical recovery of tuberculosis patients undergoing specific treatment is associated with changes in the immune and neuroendocrine responses.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a health problem worldwide. Patients with pulmonary TB show a neuro-immune-endocrine imbalance characterized by an impaired cellular immunity together with increased plasma levels of cortisol, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and markedly decreased dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels. Extending these findings, we now investigated the immune-endocrine profile of TB patients undergoing specific treatment.

Increased frequency of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ T regulatory cells in pulmonary tuberculosis patients undergoing specific treatment and its relationship with their immune-endocrine profile.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem requiring an appropriate cell immune response (IR) to be controlled. Since regulatory T cells (Tregs) are relevant in IR regulation, we analyzed Tregs variations throughout the course of TB treatment and its relationship with changes in immune-endocrine mediators dealing with disease immunopathology. The cohort was composed of 41 adult patients, 20 of them completing treatment and follow-up.

Levels of inflammatory cytokines, adrenal steroids, and mRNA for GRα, GRβ and 11βHSD1 in TB pleurisy.

Our previous work on the immune-endocrine features of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) showed markedly decreased plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) together with augmented concentrations of Cortisol and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Studies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) indicated a lower mRNA α/β ratio of glucocorticoid receptors -GR- together with a higher 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1) mRNA expression in cases with severe pulmonary TB. Since Pleural TB (PLTB) is a rather benign manifestation of TB, we now analyzed the systemic and local immune-endocrine profile as well as the GRα, GRβ, 11βHSD1 and 11βHSD2 transcripts in PBMC and pleural effusion mononuclear cells (PEMC) of patients with PLTB.

Changes in the immune and endocrine responses of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis undergoing specific treatment.

We evaluated immune and endocrine status following antituberculosis treatment in HIV-negative patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB). Treatment led to a decrease in IL-6, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein levels. Cortisol levels decreased throughout the anti-TB treatment, particularly after 4 months, but changes were less pronounced than those seen in proinflammatory mediators.

TGF-β neutralization abrogates the inhibited DHEA production mediated by factors released from M. tuberculosis-stimulated PBMC.

Supernatants (SN) from cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of tuberculosis (TB) patients inhibit dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) secretion by the adrenal cell line NCI-H295R. To analyze whether TGF-β is involved in this effect, SN of PBMC from healthy controls or patients with severe TB infections, stimulated or not with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb SN), were added to adrenal cells under basal conditions or following stimulation with forskolin. Cortisol and DHEA concentrations were evaluated in supernatants of the adrenal cells cultured with or without the addition of anti-TGF-β.

Maternal immunization with actinomycetales immunomodulators reduces parasitemias in offspring challenged with Trypanosoma cruzi.

This article describes the first use of heat-killed, borate-buffered preparations of aerobic actinomycetales to immunize pregnant animals in order to determine the effect on their pregnancy and fertility and the survival coefficients of their offspring. Pregnant rats received three injections of Gordonia bronchialis, Rhodococcus coprophylus or physiological saline and a proportion of their offspring were challenged with live Trypanosoma cruzi at the time of weaning. Levels of parasitemia and, in some animals, of the cytokines IFN-γ and IL-10 were measured.

mRNA expression of alpha and beta isoforms of glucocorticoid receptor in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with tuberculosis and its relation with components of the immunoendocrine response.

We have analyzed the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) isoforms by real time RT-qPCR in PBMCs from 19 controls (HCo) and 28 TB patients (8 mild; 12 moderate; 8 severe), HIV(-) and similar sex and age distribution. mRNA hGRα/β ratios were found higher in TB patients respect to those in HCo. However, when analyzing for disease severity such overall trend was at the expense of mild and moderate patients, with severe cases showing a lower mRNA hGRα/β ratio with respect to the other patient groups.

The adrenal steroid response during tuberculosis and its effects on the mycobacterial-driven IFN-gamma production of patients and their household contacts.

Earlier studies revealed that patients with tuberculosis (TB) have imbalanced immunoendocrine responses and that adrenal steroids [cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)] can modify their specific cell-mediated immune response. Because most household contacts (HHCs) of contagious TB patients develop a subclinical and self-controlled process (latent TB), we studied some features of their immune and endocrine responses, particularly those related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Nineteen HHCs, 24 untreated TB patients (15 moderate, 9 advanced), and 18 healthy controls of similar age were studied.

Cyclophosphamide adjuvant arthritis in Trypanosoma cruzi infected rats with inflammatory cytokine effects.

Objective: To analyze whether the cyclophosphamide (CYC) induced reestablishment of adjuvant arthritis (AA) in chronically Trypanosoma cruzi infected rats correlates with changes in the secretion of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines by popliteal lymph node cells.

Methods: Inbred "l" rats infected with T. cruzi 90 days earlier and age matched controls were given CYC (25 mg/kg body weight) or physiologic saline 48 h before arthritis induction.