Volume : 2, Issue : 10, October - 2013

A Study on the Role of the Reactive Oxygen Species in Human Mononuclear Cells Infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Dr. Mohd Aslam, Umesh Goswami, S. N Islam, Bhargava

Abstract :

India accounts for one–fifth of global burden of tuberculosis. Multi–drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR–TB) and extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR–TB) are posing a threat to the control of tuberculosis. WHO has declared a global emergency against this killer disease.This study was carried out with the aims & objectives: 1. To determine the modulatory role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in TB management by employing specific inhibitor of oxygen radicals N–acetyl–cysteine (NAC) 2. Co–relation of N–acetyl–cysteine with the anti–oxidant enzyme level of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). This was a case control study. Study involved ten healthy non–smoking volunteers as control and thirty newly diagnosed cases presenting to TB and Chest department. Chemicals of highest analytical grade available were used. TNF–α.and GPx assay was done on healthy controls and on patients before and after treating with NAC in–vitro. Paired t–test was used for statistical analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found that mean TNF–α activity level in controls and cases was 77.98+/–9.2 and around 35+/–4 respectively. Mean GPx activity level in controls and cases was 4.53+/–1.53 and around 132+/–14 respectively. The difference was highly significant in both the cases (P<0.01). After treating cases in vitro ; monocyte culture with NAC we found a highly significant increase in TNF–α (P<0.01) and GPx activity level (P<0.01). It was concluded that the oxidative stress produced by monocytes of TB patients is reversed by treating with NAC in vitro.