Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the immune response profile that differentiates patients with newly diagnosed (non-treated) pulmonary tuberculosis from multidrug-resistant (MDR) ones, as well as from healthy, tuberculin positive individuals.
Methods: Lymphocytes proliferative response to non-specific mitogen (PHA) and PPD were evaluated by 3H thymidine incorporation and cytokines were quantified using an ELISA assay.
Results: Patients with active disease showed a diminished proliferative response to PHA and PPD, while multidrug-resistant patients showed a diminished proliferative response to PHA, but a normal response to PPD. The cytokine production of newly diagnosed patients was characterized by a diminished production of IFNgamma and normal production of transforming growth factor (TGFbeta), while MDR patients revealed a normal production of IFNgamma accompanied by an increase in TGFbeta.
Conclusions: The production of significant amounts of TGFbeta in MDR patients leads to a poor immune response and may contribute to the resistance of tuberculosis patients to drugs.