Expression levels of mRNA for GRa, GRb, 11bHSD1 and GRa/b ratio peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) form patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, throughout the 6-month course of etiological treatment and 3 month following its completion

D'ATTILIO LUCIANO; DIAZ ARIANA; BONGIOVANNI BETTINA; SANTUCCI NATALIA; DÍDOLI GRISELDA; GARDEÑEZ WALTER; DEL REY ADRIANA; BESEDOVSKY HUGO; BOTTASSO OSCAR; BAY MARÍA LUISA

Milan

Congreso; 15th International Congress of Immunology 2013 (ICI2013); 2013

International Society of Immunology

Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) show several immune-endocrine alterations, like decreased plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) together with augmented concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and cortisol. The latter continues to be increased throughout treatment, whereas IL-6 and IFN-γ fall to control values and DHEA concentrations normalize. Studies on the expression of mRNA for glucocorticoid receptors isoforms (GRα and β) and enzymes regulating cortisol availability (11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1; 11βHSD1 and type 2; 11βHSD2) in PBMC indicate a lower GRα/β ratio and higher 11βHSD1 in severe pulmonary TB. Extending this analysis we now analyzed the expression of mRNA for GRα, GRβ, 11βHSD1 and GRα/β ratio in PBMC from 16 TB -HIV negative- patients, bled at diagnosis (T0), two (T2), four (T4) and 6 months (T6) of treatment as well as 3 months later (T9) and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCo), for comparison purposes. Transcript levels for GRα at T0 remained within controls values, rose significantly throughout treatment (p