Change of Th0 to Th1 cell-cytokine profile following tuberculosis chemotherapy

T cells mediate protection against tuberculosis, but little is known about their role during chemotherapy of patients with active disease. Here we examined the cytokine profile of CD4 T cells before and after four months of chemotherapy in six initial skin test anergic cases. Purified protein derivative (PPD) and 16-kDa antigen-reactive CD4 T-cell clones prior to therapy resided mostly in disease-associated body fluids and were of the Th0 (interferon (IFN)-gamma + interleukin (IL)-4) secreting profile. In contrast, the majority of postchemotherapy CD4 T-cell clones originated from blood and were of the IFN-gamma secreting Th1 type. However, the recognition of several peptides derived from the 16-kDa antigen was not significantly different between the Th1 and Th0 clones. We conclude that chemotherapy shifts CD4 T cells from the affected body fluids to the blood circulation, accompanied by a change from Th0 to Th1 cytokine profile.