BCG (Bacille of Calmette-Guérin) revaccination leads to improved in vitro IFN-γ response to mycobacterial antigen independent of tuberculin sensitization in Brazilian school-age children

Abstract:

Tuberculin skin test (TST) response and cytokine production in finger stab-derived whole blood cultures from 136 BCG scar-positive school-age children were evaluated before and after BCG revaccination. Fifty-four percent of the children increased in vitro production of IFN-γ after revaccination, and this increase was highly significant for previously unresponsive children (P<0.0001). No correlation was found between TST response and cytokine production. Our data suggest that the in vitro IFN-γ response to mycobacterial antigens can be boosted by BCG revaccination and may contribute to the search of correlates of protection to be used for the evaluation of new mycobacterial vaccines. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Año de publicación:

2003

Keywords:

• Tuberculosis: immune response
• TNF-α
• IFN-γ
• IL-10
• Immunological markers

Fuente:

scopus