Abstract
IL-24 is a newly described member of the IL-10 family. We previously demonstrated that PBMC from TB patients exhibited low levels of IL-24 and IFN-γ compared to subjects with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). In order to investigate the role of IL-24 in IFN-γ expression in TB patients, we stimulated PBMC from individuals with LTBI or TB patients with the Mtb-specific antigen, early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) and measured cytokine expression using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Exogenous IL-24 increased IFN-γ expression in PBMC obtained from TB patients while neutralization of IL-24 reduced IFN-γ expression in PBMC from subjects with LTBI. Exogenous IL-24 enhanced IFN-γ expression by increasing expression of IL-12 family cytokines, including IL-12α, IL-12β, IL-23α and IL-27, and by reducing FOXP3 expression in PBMC from TB patients. This is the first demonstration that IL-24 may play an important role in IFN-γ expression following infection with Mtb.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 57-62 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Immunology Letters |
| Volume | 117 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 15 2008 |
Funding
We are grateful to Colorado State University and the NIH, NIAID Contract NO 1 AI-75320, entitled “Tuberculosis Research Materials and Vaccine Testing” for providing ESAT-6 used in this study and to the TB Clinic at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. We thank Irina Rudoy and Cynthia Merrifield for recruitment of TB patients, blood drawing and data collection, Shu-Chen Lyu for technical assistance, and Gary Schoolnik and Peter Small for helpful discussions.
Keywords
- Cytokine
- Human
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology
