Study on the relationship between CXCR3 and its ligands and tubal tuberculosis

Cell-Mediated Immune Response Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Its Potential Therapeutic Impact

Cell-mediated immune response is critical for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) control. Understanding of pathophysiology and role played by different cell mediators is essential for vaccine development and better management of patients with M.tb. A complex array of cytokines and chemokines are involved in the immune response against M.tb; however, their relative contribution in protection remains to be further explored. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current understanding regarding the cytokine and chemokine profiles in M.tb infection in order to assist research in the field to pursue new direction in prevention and control. We have also summarized recent findings on vaccine trials that have been developed and or are under trials that are targeting these molecules.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific memory T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) most often infects the lungs and results in pulmonary tuberculosis(TB). MTB-specific memory T cells are able to respond quickly against antigens and help reduce the burden of pulmonary bacteria. The characteristics, function and chemotaxis axis of memory T cells in the lung remain unclear. The current study aimed to clarify the classification, function and recruitment of local antigen-specific memory T cells in the lung and the periphery blood of patients with pulmonary TB.

METHODS

A total of 85 patients with active pulmonary TB were included in the study. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and Peripheral blood were collected for further detection. The cell-surface markers and intracellular staining of memory T cell subtypes were measured by flow cytometry. The level of CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were measured by Real-time PCR.

RESULTS

The ratio of effective Memory T cells (TEM) were the highest in BALF of patients with pulmonary TB. In patients, CXCR3 and its ligands was increased in memory T cells of BALF compared with PBMC. IFN-γ+TNF-α+ effective Memory T cells and central memory T cells from BALF were increased after antigen stimulation. CXCR3 was higher in IFN-γ+ compared with IFN-γ- in CD4+ TCM and TEM from BALF of patients. Compared with PBMC, the PD-1 levels of terminal effector memory RA+(TEMRA) and TEM cells in CD4+ memory T cells of BALF were significantly increased. In addition, PD-1 was increased in IFN-γ+ compared with IFN-γ- in CD4+TEM from BALF of patients. There was no difference in Treg ratio between PBMC and BALF of TB patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The CXCL9/CXCL11-CXCR3 axis may participate in the chemotaxis of memory T cells from the peripheral to lung. CD4+TEM and TEMRA in BALF may have exhausted, especially the cytokine producing TEM. Our study clarified the characteristics of antigen-specific memory T cells in local lung and may have impact on strategies of therapy and vaccine.

Correlation of Female Genital Tuberculosis and Infertility: A Comprehensive Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Female Genital Tuberculosis Infertility Pathway Analysis

Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) is a significant health concern that can lead to infertility in women. FGTB is a common form of tuberculosis that affects the female reproductive organs. In India, around 27.5 million individuals are facing infertility issues due to female factors, and FGTB might be one of the leading causes. A systematic review and proportion meta-analysis of six studies was conducted using MedCalc 20.116 to examine the association between FGTB and infertility. The studies were identified through an electronic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Elsevier, and the Cochrane Library from 2010 to 2023. The results showed that FGTB is significantly associated with infertility, with a prevalence of approximately 34.86%. These findings underscore the need for effective interventions to improve reproductive health in women with FGTB. Based on pathway analysis, we conclude that more clinical trials should be conducted to explore the potential utilization of interferon gamma and nuclear receptors as therapeutic drug targets and biomarkers for the prevention of FGTB. The findings of this review will contribute to raising awareness, facilitating accurate diagnosis, and improving the management of FGTB-related infertility.

One Hundred Consecutive Neutropenic Febrile Episodes Demonstrate That CXCR3 Ligands Have Predictive Value in Discriminating the Severity of Infection in Children with Cancer

This study assesses the value of the CXCR3 ligands CXCL9/MIG, CXCL10/IP-10 and CXCL11/I-TAC when used to supplement the standard infection markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnostic algorithm of neutropenic fever in children with cancer. The concentration of CRP, PCT and chemokines was determined during the first hour of fever and 12-24 h afterwards in pediatric oncology patients with neutropenia. Among 100 consecutive febrile episodes in neutropenic patients, 34 cases demonstrated fever of unknown origin (FUO) (group A), 47 demonstrated mild clinically or microbiologically proven infection (Group B) and 19 severe infection (Group C). Significantly higher PCT-1 levels were found in group C (0.24 ng/mL) vs. group A (0.16 ng/mL), and PCT-2 in group C (1.2 ng/mL) vs. A (0.17 ng/mL), and in C vs. B (0.2 ng/mL). Chemokine concentrations (I-TAC-1, IP-10-1, IP-10-2) were significantly lower in Group A vs. B+C; I-TAC 1: 48.64 vs. 70.99 pg/mL, p = 0.03; IP-10 1: 59.95 vs. 96.84 pg/mL, p = 0.04; and IP-10 2: 102.40 vs. 149.39 pg/mL, p = 0.05. The selected pro-inflammatory chemokines I-TAC and IP10 might help to distinguish cancer patients with febrile neutropenia with the highest risk of infection. Although procalcitonin could serve as a marker of a high risk of infection, its delayed response diminishes its usefulness.

Study on the Correlation between Interleukin-27 and CXCL10 in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective. To investigate the correlation between interleukin-27 and CXCL10 and other cytokines in pulmonary tuberculosis and to further explore the related miRNAs through bioinformatics. Methods. Collect the lesion tissue and peripheral blood of pulmonary tuberculosis patients and the peripheral blood of healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR were used to observe the expression of interleukin-27, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11. Then, predict the key miRNA, qRT-PCR was used to verify the expression of miRNA in the peripheral blood and evaluated the correlation between them. Results. Both immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR indicated that the expressions of IL-27, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 were significantly increased in tuberculosis patients, and IL-27 was significantly correlated with CXCL10 ( $r=0.68$ ). Key molecules such as has-let-7b-5p, has-miR-30a-3p, and has-miR-320b were screened out. Among them, has-let-7b-5p was significantly downregulated, and has-miR-30a-3p was significantly upregulated; they were related to interleukin-27 and CXCL10. Conclusion. Our data shows that interleukin-27 and CXCL10 are significantly related in pulmonary tuberculosis, and has-let-7b-5p and has-miR-30a-3p are also related to interleukin-27 and CXCL10. It laid the foundation for subsequently exploiting the potential biomarkers in tuberculosis disease.

Cytokine Receptors-Regulators of Antimycobacterial Immune Response

Cytokine receptors are critical regulators of the antimycobacterial immune response, playing a key role in initiating and coordinating the recruitment and activation of immune cells during infection. They recognize and bind specific cytokines and are involved in inducing intracellular signal transduction pathways that regulate a diverse range of biological functions, including proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and cell growth. Due to mutations in cytokine receptor genes, defective signaling may contribute to increased susceptibility to mycobacteria, allowing the pathogens to avoid killing and immune surveillance. This paper provides an overview of cytokine receptors important for the innate and adaptive immune responses against mycobacteria and discusses the implications of receptor gene defects for the course of mycobacterial infection.

TB Antigen-Stimulated CXCR3 Ligand Assay for Diagnosis of Tuberculous Lymphadenitis

The diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis (TB-LAP) is challenging. We evaluated the role of blood CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) ligands in its diagnosis. A total of 65 lymphadenopathy patients were enrolled and lymph node sampling was performed. We also recruited 113 control subjects, consisting of 27 with positive results and 86 with negative results, in the interferon (IFN)-γ release assay (IGRA). In all study subjects, whole-blood samples were collected using the IGRA methodology. After incubation, plasma levels of IFN-γ and two CXCR3 ligands, IFN-inducible T-cell a chemoattractant (I-TAC) and monokine induced by IFN-γ (MIG), were measured using immunoassay. Fifty-three TB-LAP patients were enrolled. TB antigen-stimulated IFN-γ, I-TAC, and MIG levels were all significantly higher in the TB-LAP patients than in the controls and non-TB-LAP patients. The levels of I-TAC and MIG, but not IFN-γ, showed significant differences between the TB-LAP patients and IGRA-positive controls. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of IFN-γ, I-TAC, and MIG were 0.955, 0.958, and 0.959, respectively, for differentiating TB-LAP from control group, and were 0.912, 0.956, and 0.936, respectively, for differentiating TB-LAP from non-TB-LAP. In conclusion, the TB antigen-stimulated MIG and I-TAC could be useful biomarkers in the diagnosis of TB-LAP.