Upregulation of PD-1 expression on circulating CD8+ but not CD4+ T cells is associated with tuberculosis infection in health care workers

BMC Immunology

Yu Pang¹  Jian-an Huang²  Cui-lin Shi³  Ping Xu⁴  Xin Yu⁴  Jie Shen⁴  Jian-ping Zhang⁴  Jun-chi Xu⁴  Jin Li⁴  Hui Chen⁴  Hua-feng Song⁴  Mei-ying Wu⁴  Zhi-jian Ye⁴ 

[1]Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, 101149, Beijing, Beijing, China

[2]Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soohow University, 215006, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

[3]Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soohow University, 215006, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

[4]The Fifth People’s Hospital of Suzhou (The Affiliated Infectious Diseases Hospital of Soochow University), 215131, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

[5]The Fifth People’s Hospital of Suzhou (The Affiliated Infectious Diseases Hospital of Soochow University), 215131, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

关键词: Health care worker;    Latent tuberculosis infection;    PD-1;    Immunodepletion;    T cell;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12865-021-00433-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundHealth care workers (HCWs) are at risk for occupationally acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis (TB) disease due to repeated exposure to workplace tubercle bacilli. To determine whether continual mycobacterial stimulation correlates with increased expression of inhibitory T cell receptors, here we compared PD-1 receptor expression on surfaces of circulating T cells between naïve (uninfected) HCWs and HCWs with latent TB infection (LTBI).ResultData collected from 133 medical workers who met study selection criteria were included in the final analysis. QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-​Tube (QFT-GIT) testing yielded positive results for 32 HCWs, for an overall LTBI rate of 24.1%. Multivariate analysis identified HCW length of service > 15 years as an independent risk factor for a positive QFT-GIT result. In addition, comparisons of blood T cell subgroup profiles between QFT- and QFT+ groups indicated QFT+ subjects possessed greater proportions of mature (TM), transitional memory (TTM) and effector memory (TEM) CD4+ T cell subgroups and lower proportions of naïve T cells (TN). Moreover, the QFT+ group percentage of CD8+ T cells with detectable surface PD-1 was significantly higher than the corresponding percentage for the QFT- group. Meanwhile, no statistical intergroup difference was observed in percentages of CD4+ T cells with detectible surface PD-1.ConclusionsOur data demonstrated that upregulated PD-1 expression on circulating CD8+, but not CD4+ T cells, was associated with latent TB infection of HCWs. As compared to other hospitals, occupational TB infection risk in our hospital was substantially mitigated by implementation of multitiered infection control measures.

【 授权许可】

CC BY