14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Histopathology of spinal TB granulomas in HIV positive and negative patients and the localized immunoreactivity of macrophages.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. A10050)

Danaviah S, Naicker A, Govender S, Reddy R, Kumar K, Bishop K, Cassol S
Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the mechanism of macrophage activation and the survival of the TB bacilli within these cells. In light of the excellent post-surgery clinical outcomes of spinal TB and HIV co-infected patients, a pilot investigation of the histopathology and the immunoreactivity of macrophages in the granulomatous lesions was undertaken.

METHODS: Granulomatous tissue was collected at surgery from 31 patients (10 HIV positive and 21 HIV negative). Tissue samples were processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using conventional techniques and viewed with a Jeol 100S TEM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of macrophages employed monoclonal mouse anti-human CD68 (Clone KP1; 1:400) as the primary antibody. The LSAB@2 kit (HRP) with diaminobenzidine (DAB) chromogen allowed visualization.

RESULTS: Qualitative examination revealed a down-regulation of CD68 immuno-reactivity within the TB positive/HIV negative group compared to the co-infected group. The peptide was diffusely immunolocalised within the granulomatous lesion with aggregates around capillaries. At a subcellular level, the granulomatous lesion exhibited the presence of different cell populations including macrophages, plasma cells and lymphocytes with no differences between the co-infected and TB positive groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Histopathologically, the lesions were similar to those of pulmonary TB granulomas. However, in direct contrast to a typical TB infection, macrophage immune-reactivity was up-regulated in co-infected patients. Confirmation by quantitative image analysis and determinations of immuno-reactivity of selected/relevant cytokines and chemokines is pending.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Macrophages, HIV Seropositivity, Tuberculosis, Pulmonary, Macrophage Activation, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Cytokines, Greece, Human, Animal, Mice, pathology, immunologyKWDaegis,hivinfections,macrophages,hivseropositivity,tuberculosis,pulmonary,macrophageactivation,mycobacteriumtuberculosis,cytokines,greece,human,animal,mice,pathology,immunology

020707
A10050

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