CYTOKINE PRODUCTION BY CD4 AND CD8 T-CELLS DURING THE GROWTH OF MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS IN MICE

Changes in the pattern of cytokines found in CD4 and CD8 T cells durin g the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that resulted in the establ ishment of a latent infection were monitored. Subsets of T cells were identified based on their differential expression of CD45 and CD44 whi ch allowed them to be classified as naive, activated or memory. We fou nd that the T cells in the lung produced a predominantly type 1 cytoki ne response. The appearance of large numbers of Th1 cells coincided wi th the establishment of latency. In contrast, the predominant response in the mediastinal lymph node and spleen was a Th2-type response.