Induction of anti-mycobacterial and anti-listerial activity of human monocytes requires different activation signals.

The requirements for activation of anti-mycobacterial and anti-listerial activity of human monocytes were investigated. Human monocytes could be activated to display enhanced anti-mycobacterial activity by a 24-h treatment with lipopolysaccharide. The mediator induced by this treatment was identified as being tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Addition of recombinant TNF-alpha (rTNF-alpha) to the cultures of human monocytes for 24 h yielded comparable results (minimal dose required for induction of anti-mycobacterial activity, 10 U ml). Addition of anti-TNF-alpha antibody completely abrogated the effect. A similar treatment protocol failed to activate enhanced anti-listerial activity. To trigger anti-listerial activity, sequential treatment of human monocytes with rTNF-alpha and IL-2 was required. Treatment of monocytes with 10 U ml rTNF-alpha for 24 h followed by incubation in the presence of 200 U/ml of IL-2 for an additional 24 h yielded a reduction of listerial growth which was moderate but statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The activation of monocytes observed with rTNF-alpha/IL-2 treatment was (i) dependent on both cytokines; (ii) sequence dependent (i.e. when IL-2 was added prior to rTNF-alpha, no effect was observed); and (iii) absent in cells treated with one cytokine only. Enhancement of anti-listerial activity by sequential use of cytokines was not accompanied by an increase in oxidative burst, which indicated that oxidative mechanisms were not the reason for the observed Listeria monocytogenes growth restriction. Further support for this hypothesis was obtained after interferon-gamma treatment of human monocytes which led to an augmented PMA-inducible release of active oxygen radicals, but was not paralleled by growth restriction of L. monocytogenes. Our results indicate that TNF-alpha plays a crucial role in the activation of monocytes for growth restriction of intracellular microbes. Activation of human monocytes to restrict the growth of the facultative intracellular bacteria Mycobacterium avium intracellulare and L. monocytogenes, however, follows different patterns, the initial trigger in both cases being provided by TNF-alpha-induced signals.