Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The pathogenesis of tuberculosis

G A Rook1, R Hernandez-Pando

  • 1Department of Bacteriology, University College London Medical School, England.

Annual Review of Microbiology
|January 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Thymic Atrophy Development in a Non-Lethal Plasmodium Infection.

Parasite immunology·2026
Same author

Thymic atrophy induced by Plasmodium berghei ANKA and Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection.

Immunology letters·2023
Same author

Development of Anxiolytic and Depression-like Behavior in Mice Infected with Mycobacterium lepraemurium.

Neuroscience·2022
Same author

Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor confers neuroprotection and prevents the development of murine cerebral malaria.

International immunopharmacology·2021
Same author

Trimethylamine N-oxide levels are associated with NASH in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes & metabolism·2020
Same author

Circulation of <i>M. tuberculosis</i> Beijing genotype in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Pathogens and global health·2020
Same journal

Circadian Control of Host-Microbiome Symbioses.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Host-Pathogen Interactions in Malaria: Invasion, Neutralization, and Evasion.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

From an Interest in Molecules to a Fascination with Microbes.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Bacterial Physiology in the Context of Algal Partners.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Introduction.

Annual review of microbiology·2025
Same journal

Decoding Microbial Community Assembly: Insights on Vectors of Infectious Diseases.

Annual review of microbiology·2025
See all related articles

Tuberculosis treatment relapse is linked to immune responses. Understanding and converting these immune states using mycobacterial epitopes may prevent relapse and improve tuberculosis immunity.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Tuberculosis (TB) treatment requires 6 months to prevent relapse, as chemotherapy struggles to shift the immune response from a necrotizing (Koch phenomenon) to a non-necrotizing, bactericidal state.
  • Differences in cytokine profiles and adrenal steroid metabolism are implicated in these distinct immunological states in both mice and humans.
  • Geographically variable efficacy of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccination may be explained by shared epitopes and differing immune responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To understand the immunological mechanisms underlying the necrotizing and non-necrotizing states in tuberculosis.
  • To explore methods for converting the immune response from a necrotizing to a bactericidal pattern for improved immunity.
  • To investigate the potential of shared mycobacterial epitopes as immunotherapeutic agents.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Studies in mice and humans were used to analyze differences in cytokine profiles and adrenal steroid metabolism.
  • Mice were administered varying doses of a killed environmental saprophyte to assess immune modulation.
  • Skin-test reactivity to soluble antigens of M. tuberculosis and shared mycobacterial epitopes was evaluated in patients.

Main Results:

  • Appropriate doses of a killed environmental saprophyte could evoke either enhanced susceptibility or protection in mice.
  • Shared mycobacterial epitopes elicited minimal skin-test reactivity in TB patients, unlike soluble M. tuberculosis antigens which tended to evoke necrosis.
  • These findings highlight the importance of shared epitopes in modulating immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Converting the immune response from a necrotizing to a bactericidal mode is crucial for effective tuberculosis immunity and preventing relapse.
  • Shared mycobacterial epitopes show promise as immunotherapeutic agents capable of inducing this critical immune conversion.
  • Further research into mycobacterial epitopes could lead to novel strategies for tuberculosis treatment and prevention.