Tuberc Respir Dis.  2005 Sep;59(3):272-278.

M. tuberculosis Somatic Antigen Specific CD8+T cell Responses in BCG-Vaccinated Subjects

• Cho JE
• Cho SN
• Lee KW
• Park SK
• Cho S

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The immune responses mediated by CD8+T cells are known to be significant in controlling M. tuberculosis infections. In order to determine the role of cytotoxic CD8+T cells in the protective immune mechanism in latently infected subjects, this study examined whether or not the cytotoxic immune responses of CD8+T cells specific to the M. tuberculosis somatic antigens are induced in BCG vaccinated healthy subjects.
METHODS
Cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma elispot assays were used to investigate the activities of CD8+T cells specific for the thyA30-38 peptide epitope in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from BCG-vaccinated HLA-A*0201 and A*0206 subjects.
RESULTS
The results indicate the cytotoxic and IFN-gamma immune responses of CD8+T cells specific for thyA30-38 were induced in BCG vaccinated healthy subjects.
CONCLUSION
The cytotoxic and IFN-gamma responses by CD8+T cells specific for the M. tuberculosis somatic antigens are induced in BCG-vaccinated subjects, and appear to be involved in the protective immune mechanism in latently infected people against a M. tuberculosis infection.

Keyword

CD8+T cells; cytotoxicity; M. tuberculosis somatic antigens

MeSH Terms

Enzyme-Linked Immunospot Assay
Mycobacterium bovis
Tuberculosis*