Abstract
Human monocytes can differentiate into dendritic cells (DCs) according to the nature of environmental signals. We tested here whether the infection with the live tuberculosis vaccine bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), which is known to be limited in preventing pulmonary tuberculosis, modulates monocyte and DC differentiation. We found that monocytes infected with BCG differentiate into CD1a- DCs (BCG-DCs) in the presence of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin (IL)-4 and acquired a mature phenotype in the absence of maturation stimuli. In addition, BCG-DCs produced proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, IL-1β, IL-6) and IL-10 but not IL-12. BCG-DCs were able to stimulate allogeneic T lymphocytes to a similar degree as DCs generated in the absence of infection. However, BCG-DCs induced IL-4 production when cocultured with human cord-blood mononuclear cells. The induction of IL-4 production by DCs generated by BCG-infected monocytes could explain the failure of the BCG vaccine to prevent pulmonary tuberculosis.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 827-834 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Leukocyte Biology |
Volume | 76 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2004 |
Keywords
- CD1a
- Cytokines
- Differentiation
- Mycobacteria
- Polarization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cell Biology