Anomalies in T Cell Function Are Associated With Individuals at Risk of Mycobacterium abscessus Complex Infection

Autor: Viviana P. Lutzky, Champa N. Ratnatunga, Daniel J. Smith, Andreas Kupz, Denise L. Doolan, David W. Reid, Rachel M. Thomson, Scott C. Bell, John J. Miles
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 9 (2018)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1664-3224
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01319
Popis: The increasing global incidence and prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection is of growing concern. New evidence of person-to-person transmission of multidrug-resistant NTM adds to the global concern. The reason why certain individuals are at risk of NTM infections is unknown. Using high definition flow cytometry, we studied the immune profiles of two groups that are at risk of Mycobacterium abscessus complex infection and matched controls. The first group was cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and the second group was elderly individuals. CF individuals with active M. abscessus complex infection or a history of M. abscessus complex infection exhibited a unique surface T cell phenotype with a marked global deficiency in TNFα production during mitogen stimulation. Importantly, immune-based signatures were identified that appeared to predict at baseline the subset of CF individuals who were at risk of M. abscessus complex infection. In contrast, elderly individuals with M. abscessus complex infection exhibited a separate T cell phenotype underlined by the presence of exhaustion markers and dysregulation in type 1 cytokine release during mitogen stimulation. Collectively, these data suggest an association between T cell signatures and individuals at risk of M. abscessus complex infection, however, validation of these immune anomalies as robust biomarkers will require analysis on larger patient cohorts.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals