Efeito da proteína de fusão ESAT6:CFP10 e do antígeno recombinante Rv1733 na modulação da produção de TNF- α e expressão de seus receptores em células RAW264.7

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Macrophages provide a first line of defense against tuberculosis and major habitat for Mtb. Specific Mtb antigens, such as ESAT-6, CFP-10 and Rv1733, may modulate the production of cytokines, influencing the course of infection. Infected macrophages release a range of cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). TNF-a actions are triggered by its two membrane receptors, mTNF-R1 and mTNF-R2, which may undergo a shedding process, resulting in the soluble form sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2, respectively. In the present study, RAW264.7 macrophages (2 x 105/mL) were stimulated with the fusion protein ESAT6:CFP10 or the recombinant DosR antigen Rv1733 at 5[1,g/mL for 24 and 48 hours and the production of TNF-a and expression membrane and soluble TNFRs were investigated. Culture supernatants were collected and levels of TNF-a, IL-10, sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2 evaluated by ELISA, while levels of nitric oxide (NO) were assessed by the Griess reaction. To determine cell viability the MTT assay was used. Levels of mTNF-R1 and mTNF-R2 were analysed by flow cytometry and the expression of iNOS and Arg-1 were determined by immunocytochemistry. The results show that both antigens induced an increase in TNF-a production (p<0.05) without affecting levels of NO, IL-10, iNOS and Arg-1. Elevated expression of mTNFR1 (p<0,05) in RAW264.7 cells was observed for both antigens after 24h of culture, but only Rv1733 decreased sTNF-R1(p<0,05) in culture supernatants. Expression of mTNF-R2 and detection of sTNF-R2 (p <0.05) was enhanced by Rv1733 after 24h and 48h of culture. These results suggest that the fusion protein ESAT6:CFP10 and the DosR antigen Rv1733 differentially modulate the production of TNF-a and the expression of its receptors on macrophages, which may affect the susceptibility to infection.