Table 2.
Cytokine levels - IFN-γ, IL-12p70, TNF, CXCL10, IL-RA, IL-10, IL-1β and IL-6 - in response to mycobacterial challenge from 1–18 years old (yo). Values are presented as median and interquartile range (Q1–Q3)
| Cytokine | Stimulation condition | 1–3 yo (N = 9) |
> 3-5yo (N = 6) |
> 5-7yo (N = 9) |
> 7-10yo (N = 14) |
> 10-14yo (N = 6) |
> 14-18yo (N = 8) |
Correlation with age (r) |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFN-γ | SR: BCG |
2.6 (1.7–5.6) |
8.7 (3.2–8.7) |
6.9 (4.1–20.5) |
7.0 (2.2–10.9) |
2.6 (2.3–4.0.3.0) |
6.0 (1.4–10.6) |
0.03 | 0.85 |
| SR: BCG + IL-12 |
291.0 (88.8–813.7.8.7) |
2238.9 (463.4–5304.4.4.4) |
849.6 (497.7–1677.0) |
910.3 (485.8–2304.5.8.5) |
1454.0 (1318.4–2985.3.4.3) |
881.7 (170.0–1998.0.0.0) |
0.08 | 0.60 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
124.7 (51.5–239.4.5.4) |
179.8 (138.8–324.2.8.2) |
109.0 (84.8–122.8.8.8) |
180.8 (104.7–345.5.7.5) |
530.4 (302.9–618.6.9.6) |
65.3 (53.1–201.2.1.2) |
0.07 | 0.61 | |
| IL-12p70 | SR: BCG |
1.0 (1.0–1.2.0.2) |
0.9 (0.8–1.2) |
1.0 (0.9–1.2) |
1.3 (1.0–1.7.0.7) |
1.4 (1.1–1.6) |
1.0 (0.7–2.0.7.0) |
0.18 | 0.22 |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
11.7 (3.3–25.0) |
52.2 (10.2–184.2.2.2) |
14.0 (7.8–45.7) |
19.8 (10.5–139.3.5.3) |
7.1 (3.3–8.0.3.0) |
8.7 (3.1–15.1) |
−0.11 | 0.46 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
7.9 (3.6–11.5) |
30.5 (9.8–216.5.8.5) |
19.2 (8.4–74.2) |
19.1 (5.9–95.7) |
5.0 (2.8–8.8) |
7.2 (3.9–21.0) |
−0.14 | 0.33 | |
| TNF | SR: BCG |
176.3 (25.6–465.4.6.4) |
492.6 (301.0–682.3.0.3) |
498.0 (327.8–714.4.8.4) |
358.6 (204.9–649.5.9.5) |
395.4 (298.0–539.3.0.3) |
581.2 (345.2–699.8.2.8) |
0.13 | 0.39 |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
224.1 (96.7–657.4.7.4) |
957.2 (592.1–1340.7.1.7) |
656.3 (457.3–1061.0) |
681.2 (346.9–1143.0) |
950.0 (763.8–1154.8.8.8) |
533.0 (317.9–1512.7.9.7) |
0.18 | 0.23 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
1.1 (1.0–1.5.0.5) |
1.4 (1.1–1.5) |
1.2 (1.1–1.5) |
1.5 (1.1–2.0.1.0) |
1.9 (1.5–2.9) |
1.1 (0.9–1.3) |
0.01 | 0.94 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
1.5 (1.3–2.0.3.0) |
1.7 (1.2–2.0.2.0) |
1.5 (1.3–1.7) |
2.0 (1.2–3.2) |
1.9 (1.6–3.4) |
1.4 (0.9–2.4) |
0.07 | 0.63 | |
| CXCL10 | SR: BCG |
1.0 (0.9–1.3) |
1.1 (1.1–1.3) |
2.0 (1.2–5.8) |
1.3 (1.1–1.6) |
1.4 (1.2–1.5) |
1.2 (1.1–1.5) |
0.19 | 0.19 |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
29.6 (19.6–37.2) |
56.7 (35.9–69.8) |
41.5 (29.8–78.8) |
64.8 (45.2–99.0) |
67.9 (59.7–83.8) |
71.4 (45.9–75.4) |
0.31 | 0.03 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
24.2 (20.9–30.7) |
46.6 (32.3–52.7) |
22.1 (7.2–29.6) |
53.0 (34.7–87.8) |
50.9 (43.7–54.7) |
45.9 (36.1–55.0) |
0.28 | 0.06 | |
| IL-1RA | SR: BCG |
6.0 (5.0–24.3.0.3) |
11.5 (6.6–24.1) |
16.5 (7.2–25.0) |
37.9 (11.6–52.4) |
23.2 (19.6–27.7) |
18.6 (9.7–45.0) |
0.26 | 0.08 |
| SR: BCG + IL-12 |
7.0 (3.6–15.5) |
9.8 (5.6–19.7) |
13.3 (5.6–16.7) |
25.1 (12.7–35.5) |
21.4 (20.1–26.8) |
20.4 (7.2–54.4) |
0.29 | 0.04 | |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
6.1 (5.0–17.8.0.8) |
10.8 (8.7–18.3) |
15.1 (10.0–22.4.0.4) |
24.6 (12.8–43.1) |
24.8 (22.1–24.9) |
18.6 (9.3–58.6) |
0.27 | 0.07 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
0.8 (0.6–0.9) |
0.9 (0.8–0.9) |
0.8 (0.7–0.9) |
0.8 (0.6–1.0.6.0) |
0.9 (0.7–1.1) |
0.9 (0.8–1.1) |
0.16 | 0.28 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
1.0 (0.8–1.1) |
1.0 (0.9–1.1) |
0.9 (0.8–1.0.8.0) |
1.0 (0.7–1.2) |
0.9 (0.9–1.1) |
1.0 (1.0–1.0) |
−0.00 | 0.99 | |
| IL-10 | SR: BCG |
24.2 (8.3–74.4) |
150.7 (51.5–379.2.5.2) |
84.6 (33.1–247.4.1.4) |
313.1 (131.0–456.5.0.5) |
336.5 (213.9–457.0) |
129.9 (73.8–328.8.8.8) |
0.34 | 0.02 |
| SR: BCG + IL-12 |
17.1 (7.3–27.0) |
73.5 (31.0–124.9.0.9) |
22.8 (14.5–94.6) |
161.7 (65.5–235.0) |
199.5 (114.6–315.7.6.7) |
62.8 (50.8–186.0) |
0.40 | 0.01 | |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
2.1 (1.3–2.3) |
4.2 (2.0–5.4.0.4) |
2.6 (1.3–8.1) |
8.6 (6.1–19.5) |
15.5 (5.4–28.2) |
2.0 (1.9–5.7) |
0.32 | 0.02 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
0.6 (0.3–0.9) |
0.5 (0.4–0.6) |
0.4 (0.4–0.6) |
0.5 (0.4–0.6) |
0.5 (0.5–0.8) |
0.7 (0.5–0.8) |
0.13 | 0.39 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
0.1 (0.0–0.2.0.2) |
0.0 (0.0–0.0) |
0.0 (0.0–0.0) |
0.0 (0.0–0.1.0.1) |
0.0 (0.0–0.1.0.1) |
0.0 (0.0–0.1.0.1) |
−0.14 | 0.33 | |
| IL-1β | SR: BCG |
1109.0 (227.4–14434.5.4.5) |
3625.8 (1291.1–14215.1.1.1) |
5094.5 (1029.5–12224.5.5.5) |
1788.7 (841.1–4167.6.1.6) |
4427.1 (3116.1–5059.6.1.6) |
6268.9 (2168.3–6669.1.3.1) |
0.15 | 0.32 |
| SR: BCG + IL-12 |
1117.8 (521.1–10418.0.1.0) |
4696.0 (1483.3–23531.2.3.2) |
5376.5 (1030.7–15409.2.7.2) |
3333.8 (756.6–6134.3.6.3) |
9858.1 (4718.7–14974.1.7.1) |
5795.3 (3042.7–7206.2.7.2) |
0.15 | 0.30 | |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
973.1 (299.6–14766.3.6.3) |
5755.6 (1755.0–15263.7.0.7) |
4173.9 (1024.2–20087.1.2.1) |
3956.4 (728.2–4625.9.2.9) |
8521.3 (4520.2–11332.0.2.0) |
3262.2 (1869.4–11735.4.4.4) |
0.16 | 0.29 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
1.1 (1.0–1.5.0.5) |
1.3 (1.2–1.4) |
1.3 (1.0–1.5.0.5) |
1.3 (1.0–1.7.0.7) |
1.6 (1.1–2.8) |
1.0 (0.9–1.2) |
0.01 | 0.97 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
1.0 (0.6–1.5) |
1.0 (0.7–1.2) |
1.1 (1.0–1.4.0.4) |
1.3 (1.1–1.7) |
1.5 (1.0–2.2.0.2) |
0.9 (0.7–1.9) |
0.13 | 0.40 | |
| IL-6 | SR: BCG |
649.6 (222.5–2429.2.5.2) |
1547.1 (1113.4–6865.8.4.8) |
2078.2 (1010.8–2704.1.8.1) |
1527.0 (741.0–1776.3.0.3) |
3068.7 (2904.8–4114.9.8.9) |
1381.4 (923.1–4379.4.1.4) |
0.18 | 0.23 |
| SR: BCG + IL-12 |
741.2 (235.8–2388.9.8.9) |
2214.1 (1222.7–7593.6.7.6) |
2333.5 (1087.6–3309.3.6.3) |
1933.2 (896.8–2560.6.8.6) |
3891.7 (3278.8–4607.4.8.4) |
1709.8 (1342.2–4421.8.2.8) |
0.22 | 0.14 | |
| SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
438.2 (77.8–1381.4.8.4) |
1661.2 (671.8–6137.9.8.9) |
1307.8 (989.0–3299.7.0.7) |
989.4 (660.1–1494.1.1.1) |
2789.0 (1940.3–3272.8.3.8) |
358.9 (122.2–3712.2.2.2) |
0.12 | 0.41 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IL-12 |
1.0 (1.0–1.1.0.1) |
1.1 (1.0–1.3.0.3) |
1.1 (1.0–1.1.0.1) |
1.2 (1.0–1.5.0.5) |
1.1 (1.1–1.3) |
1.2 (1.0–1.7.0.7) |
0.16 | 0.28 | |
| Co-SR: BCG + IFN-γ |
0.5 (0.2–0.9) |
0.7 (0.5–0.8) |
0.9 (0.9–1.0.9.0) |
0.8 (0.6–0.9) |
0.8 (0.6–1.0.6.0) |
0.6 (0.2–0.9) |
−0.05 | 0.75 |
Abbreviations: BCG: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; SR: stimulation ratio (stimulated condition/basal condition); Co-SR (BCG plus IL-12 or IFN-γ/BCG). Spearman correlation (r): low association 0.1–0.3; moderate positive association between 0.3–0.5; and strong positive association 0.5–1.5. Statistical significance p < 0.05