Recruitment of Th1 effector cells in human tuberculosis: hierarchy of chemokine receptor(s) and their ligands.

Selective recruitment of IFN-γ biased Th1 effector cells at the pathologic site(s) determines the local immunity of tuberculosis (TB). We observed the enrichment of CXCR3, CCR5 and CD11a(high) T cells in the peripheral blood, pleural fluid and bronchoalveolar lavage of TB pleural effusion (TB-PE) and miliary tuberculosis (MTB) patients respectively. CXCR3(+)CCR5(+) T cells were significantly high at the local disease site(s) in both the forms of TB and their frequency was highest among activated lymphocytes in TB-PE. Interestingly, all CCR5(+) cells were invariably positive for CXCR3 but all CXCR3(+) cells did not co-express CCR5 in pleural fluid whereas the situation was reverse in bronchoalveolar lavage. These CXCR3(+)CCR5(+) cells dominantly produced IFN-γ in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen. In vitro chemotaxis assay indicates dominant role of RANTES and IP-10 in the selective recruitment of CXCR3(+)CCR5(+)cells at the tubercular pathologic sites.