The cytoplasm of HeLa cells provides a favorable site for the rapid multiplication of tubercle bacilli and several other species of mycobacteria pathogenic for humans (1). The purpose of the present study was to learn the comparative suitability for the growth of mycobacteria of some other human and simian cells growing in tissue culture of the monolayer type. Human amnlon and monkey kidney cel...

Mycobacteria are the etiologic agents of numerous diseases which account for significant morbidity and mortality in humans and other animal species. Many mycobacteria are intramacrophage pathogens and therefore the macrophage response to infection, which includes synthesis of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and production of nitric oxide, has important consequences for...

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's deadliest curable disease, responsible for an estimated 1.5 million deaths annually. A considerable challenge in controlling this disease is the prolonged multidrug chemotherapy (6 to 9 months) required to overcome drug-tolerant mycobacteria that persist in human tissues, although the same drugs can sterilize genetically identical mycobacteria growing in axenic ...

Cytokines are key regulators of adequate immune responses to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We demonstrate that the p110δ catalytic subunit of PI3K acts as a downstream effector of the TLR family member RP105 (CD180) in promoting mycobacteria-induced cytokine production by macrophages. Our data show that the significantly reduced release of TNF and IL-6 by RP105(-/-) macrophages dur...

Rapid identification of infecting mycobacterial species enables appropriate medical care decisions to be made. Our aim was to demonstrate the clinical usefulness of the multiplex PCR assay, a test based on PCR, which permits direct identification of 12 mycobacterial species in clinical specimens. A total of 259 specimens from 177 patients who had clinical symptoms of mycobacterial disease but f...

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen of macrophages and escapes the macrophages' bactericidal effectors by interfering with phagosome-lysosome fusion. IFN-γ activation renders the macrophages capable of killing intracellular mycobacteria by overcoming the phagosome maturation block, nutrient deprivation and exposure to microbicidal effectors including nitric oxide (NO). While...

OBJECTIVES In addition to several molecular methods and in particular 16S rDNA analysis, the application of a more discriminatory genetic marker, i.e., 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer gene sequence has had a great impact on identification and classification of mycobacteria. In the current study we aimed to apply this sequencing power to conclusive identification of some Iranian clinical str...

We report that M. tuberculosis organisms, but neither PHA nor allogeneic stimulator cells, preferentially activate gamma/delta+ cells within E rosette-purified peripheral blood T cells. gamma/delta+ T cells from purified protein derivative (PPD)-nonimmune healthy donors were enriched by depletion of CD4+ and CD8+ cells; double-negative (DN) cells contained 65-92% gamma/delta+ T cells. Limiting ...