Infant Alveolar Macrophages Are Unable to Effectively Contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Fibronectin facilitates Mycobacterium tuberculosis attachment to murine alveolar macrophages.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a major cause of pulmonary infection worldwide. Attachment of M. tuberculosis organisms to alveolar macrophages (AMs) represents the earliest phase of primary infection in pulmonary tuberculosis. In this study fibronectin (Fn), an adhesive protein, is shown to bind M. tuberculosis organisms and facilitates attachment of M. tuberculosis to murine AMs. A monoclo...

Macrophages Evade Apoptosis of Infected Alveolar Strains Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulent

Virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains evade apoptosis of infected alveolar macrophages.

Human alveolar macrophages (AMphi) undergo apoptosis following infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. Apoptosis of cells infected with intracellular pathogens may benefit the host by eliminating a supportive environment for bacterial growth. The present study compared AMphi apoptosis following infection by M. tuberculosis complex strains of differing virulence and by Mycobacterium ...

Phagosomal membranes of Mycobacterium bovis BCG-immune alveolar macrophages are resistant to disruption by Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Data obtained in this study reaffirm that virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv has a potent phagosome-destroying capacity when ingested by normal alveolar macrophages. In contrast, Mycobacterium bovis BCG-immune alveolar macrophages are highly resistant to this virulence mechanism. BCG-immune sera incubated with BCG-immune alveolar macrophages did not increase resistance of BCG-immune alve...

Autophagic Killing Effects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Alveolar Macrophages from Young and Aged Rhesus Macaques

Non-human primates, notably rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta, RM), provide a robust experimental model to investigate the immune response to and effective control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections. Changes in the function of immune cells and immunosenescence may contribute to the increased susceptibility of the elderly to tuberculosis. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of a...