This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Avgustin, B.
Right arrow Articles by Tercelj, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Avgustin, B.
Right arrow Articles by Tercelj, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, January 2005, p. 101-106, Vol. 12, No. 1
1071-412X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CDLI.12.1.101-106.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

CD69 Expression on CD4+ T Lymphocytes after In Vitro Stimulation with Tuberculin Is an Indicator of Immune Sensitization against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens

Bojana Avgustin,1* Vladimir Kotnik,2 Mojca Skoberne,2 Tadej Malovrh,2 Aleksandra Skralovnik-Stern,1 and Marjeta Tercelj1

Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana,2 Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia1

Received 17 February 2004/ Returned for modification 21 April 2004/ Accepted 16 September 2004

The expression of the CD69 antigen on CD4 T lymphocytes after in vitro stimulation with purified protein derivative (2 tuberculin units) was used to evaluate the tuberculin reactivities of 52 individuals from four experimental groups: Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated healthy individuals with a negative tuberculin skin test (TST) result (group A), BCG-vaccinated healthy individuals with a positive TST result (group B), patients with active tuberculosis (TB) before treatment (group C), and individuals with clinically inactive TB who had previously completed a prescribed course of chemotherapy (group D). The expression of CD69 on CD4 T lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients with active TB (16.2% ± 7.3%), individuals with clinically inactive TB (10.5% ± 7.4%), and healthy individuals with a positive TST result (15.5% ± 7.2%) than in healthy individuals with a negative TST result (3.8% ± 4.3%) (P < 0.005). We confirmed the correlation between CD69 antigen expression on T lymphocytes after stimulation with tuberculin and the TST induration diameter (Spearman rho = 0.783; P < 0.001), an assay for gamma interferon (the Quantiferon-TB assay; Spearman rho = 0.613; P < 0.001), and the lymphocyte BLAST transformation test (Spearman rho = 0.537; P < 0.001). Our results demonstrate the usefulness of the determination of CD69 on CD4 T lymphocytes after in vitro stimulation with tuberculin as a rapid indicator of immune sensitization against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Medical Centre, Korytkova 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phone: 386 1 5872-312. Fax: 386 1 5284-618. E-mail: bojana.avgustin{at}guest.arnes.si.

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, January 2005, p. 101-106, Vol. 12, No. 1
1071-412X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CDLI.12.1.101-106.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»