Challenging Mycobacterium tuberculosis dormancy mechanisms and their immunodiagnostic potential

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiologic agent of tuberculosis, one of the world's greatest cause of morbidity and mortality due to infectious disease. Many evolutionary mechanisms have contributed to its high level of adaptation as a host pathogen. Prior to become dormant, a group of about...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The Brazilian journal of infectious diseases 2015-11, Vol.19 (6), p.636-642
Main Authors:	Chaves, Alexandre Silva, Rodrigues, Michele Fernandes, Mattos, Ana Márcia Menezes, Teixeira, Henrique Couto
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Antigens, Bacterial - genetics Antigens, Bacterial - immunology Bacterial Proteins - genetics Bacterial Proteins - immunology Care and treatment Diagnosis DosR antigens Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology Humans Immune Evasion Immune system Immunodiagnosis Immunologic Tests Latency Latent Tuberculosis - diagnosis Latent Tuberculosis - microbiology Mycobacterium tuberculosis Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology Mycobacterium tuberculosis - physiology Protein Kinases - genetics Protein Kinases - immunology Review Risk factors Tuberculosis
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Summary:	Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiologic agent of tuberculosis, one of the world's greatest cause of morbidity and mortality due to infectious disease. Many evolutionary mechanisms have contributed to its high level of adaptation as a host pathogen. Prior to become dormant, a group of about 50 genes related to metabolic changes are transcribed by the DosR regulon, one of the most complex and important systems of host-pathogen interaction. This genetic mechanism allows the mycobacteria to persist during long time periods, establishing the so-called latent infection. Even in the presence of a competent immune response, the host cannot eliminate the pathogen, only managing to keep it surrounded by an unfavorable microenvironment for its growth. However, conditions such as immunosuppression may reestablish optimal conditions for bacterial growth, culminating in the onset of active disease. The interactions between the pathogen and its host are still not completely elucidated. Nonetheless, many studies are being carried out in order to clarify this complex relationship, thus creating new possibilities for patient approach and laboratory screening.
ISSN:	1413-8670 1678-4391