Immunity in patients long occupationally exposed to tuberculosis infection

Abstract

Objective: to study the impact of long-term occupational exposure to tuberculosis infection on the immune response of tuberculosis hospital workers. In this category of people versus tuberculin-positive persons having no household or occupational contacts, the investigators assessed the results of Diaskintest and determined the spontaneous and H37Rv and ESAT-6 antigen-stimulated production of IFN-γ and anti-M. tuberculosis antibodies in peripheral blood. The functional abilities of immunocompetent cells were not established to be exhausted in the workers of tuberculosis institutions due to their long-term contact with M. tuberculosis-excreting patients; however, among these examinees, there was a group of patients who had latent tuberculosis infection and needed preventive measures against active tuberculosis.