Functional activity of Th-17 lymphocytes in pulmonary tuberculosis.

Increased content of CD4(+)CD161(+)IL-17A(+) Th17 lymphocytes in the peripheral blood was found in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis irrespective of the clinical form (infiltrative, disseminated) and variant of the disease (drug-sensitive, drug-resistant). The elevated content of Th17 cells in pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with hypersecretion of Th17-associated cytokines IL-17A and IL-22 in vitro that was most pronounced (in case of IL-17A) in patients with disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis.