Background: Tuberculosis (TB) kills millions of people every year. CD4 and CD8 T cells are critical in the immune response against TB. T cells expressing both CD4 and CD8 (CD4CD8 T cells) are functionally active and have not been examined in the context of TB.
Methods: We examine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BAL) and lung granulomas from 28 cynomolgus macaques during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.
Results: CD4CD8 T cells increase in frequency during early Mtb infection in PBMC and BAL from pre-infection. Peripheral, airway, and lung granuloma CD4CD8 T cells have distinct patterns and greater cytokine production than CD4 or CD8 T cells.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that CD4CD8 T cells transient the blood and airways early during infection to reach the granulomas where they are involved directly in the host response to Mtb.
Keywords: CD4CD8; T cells; mycobacteria; tuberculosis.
© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Medical Primatology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.