IL-10 and IL-12 Production in Response to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Total Lipid Antigens in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipid antigens take part in pathogenicity of the bacterium but the response of monocytes/macrophages to these antigens in tubercu-losis is not well known. Objective: The aim of current investigation was to study the M. tuberculosis lipid antigens in tuberculosis pathogenesis. Methods: In the present study M. tuberculosis lipid antigens were extracted. Monocytes and macrophages from mul-tidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), TB patients, asymptomatic healthy individuals with positive tuberculin skin test positive and healthy individuals with negative tubercu-lin skin test were collected using magnetic cell sorting. The cells were stimulated by M. tuberculosis total lipid antigens and IL-12 and IL-10 in their supernatants were meas-ured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The IL-12 production by mono-cytes in response to M. tuberculosis total sonicate antigens in the MDR-TB patients did not show a considerable difference with the PPD positive healthy subjects, whereas in the active TB patients, IL-12 levels significantly decreased (p