Abstract

In tuberculosis (TB), protective inflammatory immune responses and the pathological sequelae of chronic inflammation significantly depend on a timely balance of cytokine expression. In contrast to other anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-27 has fundamental effects in experimental Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection: the absence of IL-27-mediated signalling promotes a better control of mycobacterial growth on the one hand side but also leads to a chronic hyperinflammation and immunopathology later during infection. Hence, in the context of novel host-directed therapeutic approaches and vaccination strategies for the management of TB, the timely restricted blockade of IL-27 signalling may represent an advanced treatment option. In contrast, administration of IL-27 itself may allow to treat the immunopathological consequences of chronic TB. In both cases, a better knowledge of the cell type-specific and kinetic effects of IL-27 after Mtb infection is essential. This review summarizes IL-27-mediated mechanisms affecting protection and immunopathology in TB and discusses possible therapeutic applications.

Highlights

  • Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that has challenged humanity for millennia [1]

  • In vivo mouse data provide a comprehensive picture of the IL27-mediated effects on the structure of lung granulomas as well as on the localization and intrinsic quality of effector CD4+ T cell subsets during Mtb infection [30, 67]

  • Initial findings from in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that the pleiotropic cytokine IL-27 may affect other innate and adaptive immune subsets during TB [30, 48, 96,97,98]

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that has challenged humanity for millennia [1]. In the absence of IL-27Ra, higher numbers of CD8+ T cells accumulate in the lungs of Mtb-infected mice [48] (Figure 2, Table 1) These CD8+ T cells exhibit enhanced expression of activation markers. Activated lung CD8+ T cells may be a part of the improved antimycobacterial immunity in IL-27Ra-/- mice, eventually resulting in a more efficient containment of Mtb. As mentioned before, in the absence of IL-27Ra, Mtbinfected lungs exhibit highly structured granulomas surrounded by a lymphocyte rim which predominantly contains clusters of B cells - an effect that is strikingly dependent on the expression of IL-17A [30] Antigen presenting cells (APC), such as MF and DC, are able to initiate granuloma formation and adaptive immunity by the presentation of antigen and the secretion of pro-inflammatory

MF neutrophils
CONCLUDING REMARKS AND POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS

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