Aim: To investigate the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in primary macrophages with SNPs affecting cytokine secretion under treatment with drugs in solution or microparticles.
Materials & methods: Volunteers were typed for TNF (-308G/A), IL-10 (-1082A/G) and IL-4 (-590C/T). Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were infected in vitro. Cytokine secretion and survival of intracellular bacilli were estimated.
Results: IL-10 AG associated with high secretion in uninfected and infected MDMs (p < 0.05) and was reduced more effectively by microparticles than drugs, irrespective of genotype (p < 0.05). Differences were observed between IL-4 secretion by MDMs of CC and TT genotypes (p = 0.1). Bacteria proliferated more in MDMs from volunteers with higher IL-4 levels (p = 0.05). Microparticles showed higher efficacy (p = 0.05) than drugs.
Conclusion: IL-4 and IL-10 SNPs affect the ability of macrophages to counter infection with M. tuberculosis. Microparticles elicit favorable macrophage cytokines regardless of SNPs.