Circulating iNKT cells were reduced in HIV-1 infection, most significantly the CD4+ subset, which was inversely associated with HIV-1 viral load. iNKT cells in HIV-associated TB had increased surface CD107a expression, indicating cytotoxic degranulation.
No difference was seen between active TB, LTBI or any of those treated for TB in the ELISPOT analysis of antigen-specific Granzyme B (GrB), Perforin (Prf) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) producing lymphocytes, the FACS analysis of the intracellular expression of IFN-γ, or the surface expression of CD107a degranulation factor of both CD8+ and CD4+ antigen-specific T cell subsets.
Associations were found between polymorphisms in LAMP1 (p = 0.02) and MTOR (p = 0.02) and infection with the successful M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype.
These strategies include the use of the sorting signal of lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP-1), Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70), calreticulin (CRT) and the translocation domain (dII) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA).