Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis]
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Kekkaku : [Tuberculosis] · Dec 2001
Case Reports[A putative immunotherapy with biological response modifiers (BRM) against intractable pulmonary tuberculosis].
The problem of tuberculosis is emerging again with increase in the population of aged people and immunocompromised patients in Japan. It has been well documented that cell-mediated immunity play a central role in host resistance to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Many recent studies have provided evidences suggesting that the Th1-Th2 cytokine balance may determine the outcome of some diseases: predominant production of Th1 cytokines may prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases caused by intracellularly growing pathogens and Th2 cytokines may be involved in the exacerbation of allergic diseases. ⋯ Although no report showing the clinical use of IL-12 in infectious diseases has been seen, clinical trials already commenced for the therapy of malignant neoplastic diseases. It may not be in far future that this cytokine is clinically used for the treatment of infectious diseases. IL-18 has not yet been under the clinical trials.