Innate and Acquired Response on Tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause worldwide of human mortality attributable to a single infectious agent; nevertheless, the infection of human organism with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) doesn't lead to disease obligatory, by all means. Recent studies have revealed numerous polymorphisms implicated in host susceptibility to TB. Human organism may have an innate resistance to MTB. A hallmark of Mtb infection is the ability of most (90-95%) healthy adults to control infection through acquired immunity, in which antigen specific T cells and macrophages arrest growth of Mtb bacilli and maintain control over persistent bacilli. Mtb induces vigorous immune responses, yet evades host immunity, persisting within phagosomes of the infected macrophages. Each stage of the host response to Mtb is under genetic control, including the initial encounter with MTB by macrophages, epithelial cells and dendritic cells in the lung, induction of the inductive T cell response, and killing by activated macrophages within granulomas. Thus there is an innate resistance of the human organism to Mtb -and it is a main reason why TB, potentially lethal disease, doesn't destroy all mankind. Mtb itself stimulates acquired response on TB that improves the resistance of the human organism. Special vaccines increase this resistance too. Medical science may help to reinforce both innate and acquired response on TB, nevertheless, genetical predisposition plays important role.