Pleural fluid and peripheral blood lymphocyte function in tuberculosis

The studies show that skin test and peripheral blood mononuclear cell hyporeactivity to tuberculin in these patients with tuberculous pleurisy is not due to depletion of antigen reactive cells from the circulating compartment. Rather, potentially tuberculin-responsive T cells continue to circulate, but their function is masked by suppressor adherent cells. Monocytes present in increased numbers and with increased inhibitory activity appear to provide the basis for in-vitro suppression of peripheral blood lymphocyte responses to tuberculin antigens noted in some patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The findings suggest that the compartmentalization relevant in tuberculin-hyporesponsive patients with tuberculous pleurisy may be the relative exclusion of such suppressor cells from the pleural space.