Phillips R, Horsfield C, Mangan J, Laing K, Etuaful S, Awuah P, Nyarko K, Osei-Sarpong F, Butcher P, Lucas S, Wansbrough-Jones M
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
Infect Immun. 2006 May;74(5):2917-24. doi: 10.1128/IAI.74.5.2917-2924.2006.
Cytokine mRNA expression in biopsies of Mycobacterium ulcerans-infected human tissue was investigated using real-time PCR, and the findings were correlated with the clinical stages of disease and histopathologies. A broad range of cytokine mRNAs were detected in 16 early nodules and 28 late-stage ulcers, including those for the Th1 cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and the Th2 cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10). IFN-gamma was strongly expressed in both nodules and ulcers, suggesting that a Th1 response begins early in the disease. There was a significantly higher expression of IL-8 and other proinflammatory cytokines in results from 32 biopsies with neutrophilia than in those from 12 biopsies without acute inflammation. Ten tissue samples containing granulomas showed high mRNA expression for IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-15, and TNF-alpha relative to 34 tissue samples without granulomas. These results suggest that the human immune response to M. ulcerans is similar to that seen with some other mycobacteria despite the presence of the toxin mycolactone in the tissues.
采用实时定量聚合酶链反应（PCR）研究溃疡分枝杆菌感染的人体组织活检标本中细胞因子mRNA的表达情况，并将研究结果与疾病的临床分期和组织病理学结果进行关联分析。在16例早期结节和28例晚期溃疡中检测到多种细胞因子mRNA，包括Th1细胞因子肿瘤坏死因子α（TNF-α）和γ干扰素（IFN-γ）以及Th2细胞因子白细胞介素10（IL-10）的mRNA。IFN-γ在结节和溃疡中均强烈表达，提示在疾病早期即开始出现Th1反应。32例伴有中性粒细胞增多的活检标本中IL-8和其他促炎细胞因子的表达明显高于12例无急性炎症的活检标本。相对于34例无肉芽肿的组织样本，10例含有肉芽肿的组织样本中IFN-γ、IL-1β、IL-12p35、IL-12p40、IL-15和TNF-α的mRNA表达较高。这些结果表明，尽管组织中存在毒素分枝杆菌内酯，但人体对溃疡分枝杆菌的免疫反应与对其他一些分枝杆菌的免疫反应相似。
