MHC-II polymorphism in tuberculosis control: general lessons from focused studies in mice

CD4+ T-cells are critical for effective anti-mycobacterial immune response. The MHC-II genes encoding Class II molecules, key regulators of CD4+ T-cell selection in the thymus and maintenance in the periphery, are a prominent factor of tuberculosis (TB) control. Recent genetic mapping and functional studies performed in our lab provided new facts about the influence of MHC-II genetic polymorphisms on the expression level of Class II molecules on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in organs of the immune system and in the lungs. We also determined how these variations affect TB control by the murine host. In this short Opinion article, we summarize and briefly discuss our conclusions from this work.