CYTOKINE GENE ACTIVATION AND MODIFIED RESPONSIVENESS TO INTERLEUKIN-2IN THE BLOOD OF TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS

Selected parameters of cellular immunity relating to cytokine gene act ivation and responsiveness to interleukin-2 (IL-2) were analyzed in 27 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis and no human immunodefici ency virus type 1 infection. Cytokine mRNAs were not expressed by peri pheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of normal controls. In PBMC of t uberculosis patients, messages for IL-1, IL-8, and tumor necrosis fact or-alpha were uniformly expressed, whereas PBMC of only 5 of 18 patien ts expressed IL-6. PBMC of 7 patients (all of those with systemic symp toms) expressed interferon-gamma mRNA and none expressed IL-2 mRNA. Mo st patients' cells demonstrated IL-4 mRNA. Limiting dilution analysis of IL-2-responsive cells in PBMC revealed that tuberculosis patients h ad 10-fold fewer IL-2-responsive cells than did controls.