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Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1996 Jan;103(1):30–34. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.907600.x

Generalized immune activation in pulmonary tuberculosis: co-activation with HIV infection

G VANHAM *, K EDMONDS *, L QING *, D HOM *, Z TOOSSI *, B JONES , C L DALEY , R HUEBNER §, L KESTENS *, P GIGASE *, J J ELLNER *
PMCID: PMC2200321  PMID: 8565282

Abstract

Parameters of immune activation/differentiation were studied in a group of newly diagnosed HIV and HIV+ pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients. Compared with controls, HLA-DR expression on both CD4 and CD8 T cells from the HIV TB patients was approximately doubled; HLA-DR on T cells from the HIV+ group was tripled. The monocytes from both groups of patients expressed abnormally high levels of the Fcγ receptors I and III. Serum levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), neopterin and β2-microglobulin were increased in HIV and even more so in HIV+ TB patients. The expression of HLA-DR on T cell subsets and of FcγR on monocytes correlated with each other, but not with serum activation markers. This pattern of non-specific activation during TB infection may be associated with enhanced susceptibility to HIV infection.

Keywords: tuberculosis, HIV, immune activation, HLA-DR, FCγ receptor

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