The Inverse Association Between Tuberculin Responses and Atopic Disorder

TLDR

Immune responses vary, with T helper subsets and cytokines often antagonistic; atopy, an IgE‑mediated hypersensitivity underlying asthma, may be mitigated by Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure through immune profile modulation. In Japanese schoolchildren, positive tuberculin responses were strongly inversely associated with atopy, predicting lower asthma incidence, lower IgE levels, and a TH1‑biased cytokine profile.

Abstract

Human immune responses are heterogeneous and may involve antagonism between T helper (T H ) lymphocyte subsets and their cytokines. Atopy is characterized by immediate immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity to agents such as dust mites and pollen, and it underlies the increasingly prevalent disorder asthma. Among Japanese schoolchildren, there was a strong inverse association between delayed hypersensitivity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atopy. Positive tuberculin responses predicted a lower incidence of asthma, lower serum IgE levels, and cytokine profiles biased toward T H 1 type. Exposure and response to M. tuberculosis may, by modification of immune profiles, inhibit atopic disorder.