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Pulmonary Mycobacterium tuberculosis control associates with CXCR3- and CCR6-expressing antigen-specific Th1 and Th17 cell recruitment.

Uma Shanmugasundaram,Allison N. Bucşan,Shashank R. Ganatra,C. Ibegbu,M. Quezada,R. Blair,X. Alvarez,V. Velu,D. Kaushal,Jyothi Rengarajan

Published 2020 in JCI Insight

ABSTRACT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific T cell responses associated with immune control during asymptomatic latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remain poorly understood. Using a non-human primate (NHP) aerosol model, we studied the kinetics, phenotypes and functions of Mtb antigen-specific T cells in peripheral and lung compartments of Mtb-infected asymptomatic rhesus macaques by longitudinally sampling blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), for up to 24 weeks post-infection. We found significantly higher frequencies of Mtb-specific effector and memory CD4 and CD8 T cells producing IFN-γ in the airways compared to peripheral blood, which were maintained throughout the study period. Moreover, Mtb-specific IL-17+ and IL-17/IFN-γ double-positive T cells were present in the airways but were largely absent in the periphery, suggesting that balanced mucosal Th1/Th17 responses are associated with LTBI. The majority of Mtb-specific CD4 T cells that homed to the airways expressed the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and co-expressed CCR6. Notably, CXCR3+CD4+ cells were found in granulomatous and non-granulomatous regions of the lung and inversely correlated with Mtb burden. Our findings provide novel insights into antigen-specific T cell responses associated with asymptomatic Mtb infection that are relevant for developing better strategies to control TB.

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