Mycobacterium tuberculosis diverts alpha interferon-induced monocyte differentiation from dendritic cells into immunoprivileged macrophage-like host cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical for initiating a pathogen-specific T-cell response. During chronic infections the pool of tissue DCs must be renewed by recruitment of both circulating DC progenitors and in loco differentiating monocytes. However, the interaction of monocytes with pathogens could affect their differentiation. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been shown to variably interfere with the generation and function of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In this study we found that when alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) is used as an inductor of monocyte differentiation, M. tuberculosis inhibits the generation of DCs, forcing the generation of immunoprivileged macrophage-like cells instead. Cells derived from M. tuberculosis-infected monocyte-derived macrophages (M. tuberculosis-infected MoMphi) retained CD14 without acquiring CD1 molecules and partially expressed B7.2 but did not up-regulate B7.1 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules. They synthesized tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 (IL-10) but not IL-12. They also showed a reduced ability to induce proliferation and functional polarization of allogeneic T lymphocytes. Thus, in the presence of IFN-alpha, M. tuberculosis may hamper the renewal of potent APCs, such as DCs, generating a safe habitat for intracellular growth. M. tuberculosis-infected MoMphi, in fact, showed reduced expression of both signal 1 (CD1, MHC classes I and II) and signal 2 (B7.1 and B7.2), which are essential for mycobacterium-specific T-lymphocyte priming and/or activation. These data further suggest that M. tuberculosis has the ability to specifically interfere with monocyte differentiation. This ability may represent an effective M. tuberculosis strategy for eluding immune surveillance and persisting in the host.