A 25-kilodalton fraction from Mycobacterium tuberculosis that inhibits hexose monophosphate shunt activity, lysozyme release, and H2O2 production: reversal by gamma interferon.

This study examined the effects of a 25-kilodalton (kDa) glycolipoprotein derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis on phagocyte functions associated with antimicrobial activity. The 25-kDa fraction inhibited the ability of both polymorphonuclear cells and cultured monocytes to release lysozyme and produce hydrogen peroxide. In addition, the glycolipoprotein was capable of reducing hexose monophosphate shunt activity and interfered with the ability of polymorphonuclear cells to reduce Nitro Blue Tetrazolium. Inhibition of these antimicrobial systems was optimal at a 50-micrograms/ml concentration of the 25-kDa fraction. Gamma interferon, but not alpha interferon, partially reversed the inhibitory effect of the mycobacterial component in all of the systems assessed. These studies indicate important mechanisms in the understanding of the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and suggest that gamma interferon may have a therapeutic role in mycobacterial diseases.