Reduced CD27 expression on antigen-specific CD4+ T cells correlates with persistent active tuberculosis.

Jing Jiang, Xianyuan Wang, Xinjing Wang, Zhihong Cao, Yanhua Liu, Mei Dong, Aihua Tong, Xiaoxing Cheng

School of Nursing, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Journal of clinical immunology 2010 Jul

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CD27, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, has important role in generation of T cell immunity. In this study, association of CD27 expression on mycobacterial antigen-specific CD4+ T cells with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) was investigated. Mycobacterial antigen-specific CD4+ T cells were identified based on CD154 expression and CD27 expression on antigen-specific CD4 T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Compared with tuberculin-positive controls, patients with bacterial culture-positive pulmonary TB had significantly reduced CD27 expression on antigen-specific CD4 T cells. The persistent active TB patients had much lower percentages of CD27+ antigen-specific CD4 T cells than culture-positive new TB patients (P=0.008) and healthy controls (P=0.005). Logistic regression analysis on frequencies of CD27-expressing antigen-specific CD4 T cells and TB patients' clinical characteristics indicated that low percentage of CD27+ antigen-specific CD4 T cells correlated significantly with persistent active tuberculosis (P=0.002, odds ratio=19.6). It is concluded that frequency of CD27+ antigen-specific CD4 T cells could be used as an immunological marker for persistent active TB.

Citation

Jing Jiang, Xianyuan Wang, Xinjing Wang, Zhihong Cao, Yanhua Liu, Mei Dong, Aihua Tong, Xiaoxing Cheng. Reduced CD27 expression on antigen-specific CD4+ T cells correlates with persistent active tuberculosis. Journal of clinical immunology. 2010 Jul;30(4):566-73