IL-10 inhibits mature fibrotic granuloma formation during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Protective immunity and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in humans are associated with the formation of mature protective granulomas within the lung. Unfortunately, understanding the importance of such structures has been hindered by the lack of small-animal models that can develop mature granulomas. In this article, we describe for the first time, to our knowledge, the formation of mature, fibrotic M. tuberculosis-containing pulmonary granulomas in a mouse model of IL-10 deficiency (CBA/J IL-10(-/-)). Long-term control of M. tuberculosis infection in the absence of IL-10 was also associated with an early and enhanced capacity for Ag presentation and a significant increase in the generation of multifunctional T cells. Although IL-10 deficiency is known to enhance Th1 immune responses in general, we demonstrate in this study using transient anti-IL-10R treatment that it is the presence of IL-10 in vivo during the first month of M. tuberculosis infection that plays a definitive role in the inhibition of optimum protective immunity that can establish the environment for mature granuloma formation. Although the importance of IL-10 during M. tuberculosis infection has been debated, our data demonstrate that in CBA/J mice, IL-10 plays a significant early inhibitory role in preventing the development of protective immunity associated with containment of M. tuberculosis infection.