beta-Glucan Increases IFN-gamma and IL-12 Production of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells with/without Induction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Wild-type/Mutant DNA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In tuberculosis infections, the immune system is weakened and cannot produce enough cytokines to against the infection. b-glucan is a potent immunomodulator that induces cytokine production in various bacterial infections. This study aimed to determine the effects of b-glucan on the production of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-12 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA.METHODS: PBMCs were isolated from 11 healthy subjects. PBMCs were treated with/without 5 μg/mL b-glucan and M. tuberculosis rpoB wild-type or mutant DNA. The production of IFN-γ and IL-12 in the supernatant was performed with enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA).RESULTS: b-glucan increased significantly (p<0.05) IFN-γ of M. tuberculosis mutant DNA-induced PBMCs, M. tuberculosis wild-type DNA-induced PBMCs, and non-induced PBMCs. b-glucan also increased significantly (p<0.05) IL-12 of M. tuberculosis mutant DNA-induced PBMCs, M. tuberculosis wild-type DNA-induced PBMCs, and non-induced PBMCs. There were not any significant difference between male and female groups for IL-12 and IFN-γ in all treatment groups (p>0.05, ANOVA test).CONCLUSION: This in vitro study indicates that b-glucan increases the performance of PBMCs to produce IFN-γ and IL-12, with/without induction of M. tuberculosis wild-type/ mutant DNA.KEYWORDS: b-glucan, IFN-γ, IL-12, M. tuberculosis, rpoB

ESAT-6-Ag85C-polyHistag Antigen Fusion is Potential as Vaccine Candidate for Tuberculosis

“…One of the main cytokines produced by T cells is interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) as a defense mechanism to eliminate Mtb. (9,10) Cellular immune response in the form of T cells will increase within 1 week after being infected by Mtb, if it has passed intensive phase therapy for 2 months, the number of Mtb and activated T cells will decrease due to the healing process, whereas in healthy people T cells have not been activated because Mtb antigens have not sensitized them. (11,12) Hence in this study, IFN-γ levels were measured in new pulmonary TB, pulmonary TB in treatment, and healthy subjects to see whether there are any differences in immune responses in the three groups, to see the potential application of TB vaccine candidates as boosters.…”