02599nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653002600054653001900080653003000099653001400129653001100143653003100154653001400185653001600199653001800215653000900233653001800242653003100260653002200291653002800313100001200341700001300353700001200366700001200378700001600390700001400406700001400420245015100434856007800585300001100663490000600674520151900680022001402199       2012                            d10aAnimals10aAntitubercular Agents10aBacterial Load10aCombined Modality Therapy10aCytokines10aFemale10aGene Expression Regulation10aGranuloma10aGuinea Pigs10aImmunotherapy10aLung10aMycobacterium10aMycobacterium tuberculosis10aOrgan Specificity10aTuberculosis, Pulmonary1 aGupta A1 aAhmad FJ1 aAhmad F1 aGupta U1 aNatarajan M1 aKatoch VM1 aBhaskar S00aEfficacy of Mycobacterium indicus pranii immunotherapy as an adjunct to chemotherapy for tuberculosis and underlying immune responses in the lung.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406023/pdf/pone.0039215.pdf  ae392150 v73 a<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>The 9-month-long chemotherapy of tuberculosis often results in poor compliance and emergence of drug-resistant strains. So, improved therapeutic strategy is urgently needed. Immunotherapy could be beneficial for the effective management of the disease. Previously we showed the protective efficacy of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) when given as prophylactic vaccine in animal models of tuberculosis.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We sought to investigate whether MIP can be used as an adjunct to the chemotherapy in guinea pig models of tuberculosis. Efficacy of MIP was evaluated when given subcutaneously or by aerosol.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>MIP-therapy as an adjunct to the chemotherapy was found to be effective in accelerating bacterial killing and improving organ pathology. MIP-immunotherapy resulted in higher numbers of activated antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes in the infected lungs and also modulated the granulomatous response. Early increase in protective Th1 immune response was observed in the immunotherapy group. Following subsequent doses of MIP, decrease in the inflammatory response and increase in the immunosuppressive response was observed, which resulted in the improvement of lung pathology.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>MIP immunotherapy is a valuable adjunct to chemotherapy for tuberculosis. Aerosol route of immunotherapy can play a crucial role for inducing immediate local immune response in the lung.</p>
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