Alveolar macrophages from tuberculosis patients display an altered inflammatory gene expression profile

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are major targets of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, critical during the progression of active tuberculosis (TB). The complex immunopathology of TB generates diverse microenvironments in the lung, which shape immune responses by AMs. In the current study, we perform whole genome microarray transcriptional profiling on RNA isolated from AMs from TB patients (AMsTB) compared to AMs from control subjects (AMsCT) using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Our hypothesis was that systemic effects on the local lung microenvironment during TB affect the transcriptional response of AMsTB.
Source: Tuberculosis - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Source Type: research