This study was conducted to understand the patterns of cytokine response in response to stimulation of lymphocytes with different mycobacterial antigens in BCG vaccinated and non-vaccinated children in the age group of 5-8yrs in Chennai. BCG vaccinated and non vaccinated children Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells were isolated and cultured with different mycobacterial antigens in RPMI medium and then after 48 hrs the supernatant was collected and the in vitro levels of Il-2, IFN-γ, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-beta were estimated in BCG vaccinated and non-vaccinated Mantoux positive and Mantoux negative children using sandwich Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Different antigens elicit different cytokine response irrespective of the group; however the response in a Mantoux positive group which has received BCG vaccination appears to be much lower than the BCG nonvaccinated Mantoux positive group. While no definite distinguishing pattern could be made out, the findings strongly suggest that the four groups are different from each other in terms of their ability to secrete cytokines in unstimulated cells as well as in response to external stimulation.
