Pleural tuberculosis in patients with early HIV infection is associated with increased TNF-alpha expression and necrosis in granulomas.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19156215.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0004228 and PMC identifier 2626629.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Although granulomas may be an essential host response against persistent antigens, they are also associated with immunopathology. We investigated whether HIV co-infection affects histopathological appearance and cytokine profiles of pleural granulomas in patients with active pleural tuberculosis (TB). Granulomas were investigated in pleural biopsies from HIV positive and negative TB pleuritis patients. Granulomas were characterised as necrotic or non-necrotic, graded histologically and investigated for the mRNA expression of IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-4 by in situ hybridisation. In all TB patients a mixed Th1/Th2 profile was noted. Necrotic granulomas were more evident in HIV positive patients with a clear association between TNF-alpha and necrosis. This study demonstrates immune dysregulation which may include TNF-alpha-mediated immunopathology at the site of disease in HIV infected pleural TB patients.
Medical subject headings
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Granuloma
- HIV Infections
- Necrosis
- Tuberculosis, Pleural
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha