AUTHOR=Goenka Anu , Prise Ian E. , Connolly Emma , Fernandez-Soto Paulina , Morgan David , Cavet Jennifer S. , Grainger John R. , Nichani Jaya , Arkwright Peter D. , Hussell Tracy 

TITLE=Infant Alveolar Macrophages Are Unable to Effectively Contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.00486

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.00486

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>Infants are more likely to develop lethal disseminated forms of tuberculosis compared with older children and adults. The reasons for this are currently unknown. In this study we test the hypothesis that antimycobacterial function is impaired in infant alveolar macrophages (AMϕs) compared with those of adults. We develop a method of obtaining AMϕs from healthy infants using rigid bronchoscopy and incubate the AMϕs with live virulent <italic>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</italic> (Mtb). Infant AMϕs are less able to restrict Mtb replication compared with adult AMϕs, despite having similar phagocytic capacity and immunophenotype. RNA-Seq showed that infant AMϕs exhibit lower expression of genes involved in mycobactericidal activity and IFNγ-induction pathways. Infant AMϕs also exhibit lower expression of genes encoding mononuclear cell chemokines such as <italic>CXCL9</italic>. Our data indicates that failure of AMϕs to contain Mtb and recruit additional mononuclear cells to the site of infection helps to explain the more fulminant course of tuberculosis in early life.</p>