JAPANESE JOURNAL OF LEPROSY
Online ISSN : 1884-314X
Print ISSN : 1342-3681
ISSN-L : 1342-3681
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Innate and acquired immune responses to mycobacterial infections: involvement of IL-17A/IL-23 axis in protective immunity
Masayuki UmemuraGoro Matsuzaki
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2013 Volume 82 Issue 3 Pages 123-132

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Abstract
  Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and continues to be a serious threat to human life. Since M. tuberculosis establishes intracellular parasitism in macrophages, host innate and acquired immune systems have to detect and enhance bactericidal activity against the intracellular bacteria. Understanding of interaction between pathogenic factors of M. tuberculosis and host is also important to understand how immune system copes with the pathogen. In this review, we shortly summarize the mechanisms how innate and acquired immunity recognize M. tuberculosis or M. tuberculosis-infected cells and protects hosts from the infection. Furthermore, IL-17A/IL-23 axis, a recently focused inflammatory cytokine system, is discussed in the context of anti-mycobacterial protective immunity.
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© 2013 Japanese Leprosy Association
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