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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
immunology and microbiology
Induction of granulysin and perforin cytolytic mediator expression in 10-week-old infants vaccinated with BCG at birth
Clinical and Developmental Immunology, Volume 2011, Article 438463, Year 2011
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Description
Background. While vaccination at birth with Mycobacterium bovis Bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG) protects against severe childhood tuberculosis, there is no consensus as to which components of the BCG-induced immune response mediate this protection. However, granulysin and perforin, found in the granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and Natural Killer (NK) cells, can kill intracellular mycobacteria and are implicated in protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods. We compared the cellular expression of granulysin and perforin cytolytic molecules in cord blood and peripheral blood from 10-week-old infants vaccinated at birth with either Japanese or Danish BCG, administered either intradermally or percutaneously. Results. In cord blood, only CD56+ NK cells expressed granulysin and perforin constitutively. These cytolytic mediators were upregulated in CD4+ and CD8 + cord blood cells by ex vivo stimulation with BCG but not with PPD. Following BCG vaccination of neonates, both BCG and PPD induced increased expression of granulysin and perforin by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. There was no difference in expression of cytolytic molecules according to vaccination route or strain. Conclusions. Constitutive expression of perforin and granulysin by cord blood NK-cells likely provides innate immunity, while BCG vaccination-induced expression of these cytolytic mediators may contribute towards protection of the neonate against tuberculosis. © 2011 Patricia L. Semple et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ress, Stanley R.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
South Africa, Observatory
Groote Schuur Hospital
Semple, Patricia L.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Watkins, Marcia L.V.
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
South Africa, Johannesburg
National Health Laboratory Service
Davids, Virginia
South Africa, Observatory
South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative
Krensky, Alan M.
United States, Rockville
National Cancer Institute Nci
Hanekom, Willem A.
South Africa, Observatory
South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative
South Africa, Cape Town
University of Cape Town
Kaplan, Gilla
United States, Newark
Public Health Research Institute
Statistics
Citations: 33
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 6
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1155/2011/438463
ISSN:
17402522
Research Areas
Maternal And Child Health