Immunity to tuberculosis (TB) is suppressed due to HIV coinfection and this suppression could further be enhanced by pregnancy. However, the effect of pregnancy on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis)-specific immune response during HIV/latent TB co-infection is not well understood. Here we investigated the changes in M. tuberculosis-specific functional Th1, Th2 and antibody responses in pregnant women with HIV/latent TB co-Infection. Pregnancy, concurrent with HIV infection, triggers a substantial suppression of M. tuberculosis-specific IFN-γ responses in a CD4⁺ T cell count dependent manner with an insignificant change in IL-4 and IgG responses. Conversely, M. tuberculosis-specific IL-10 production was markedly augmented in latent TB infected pregnant women with a lesser extent during HIV co-infection. These findings reveal that pregnancy suppresses anti-mycobacterial protective immune response in a CD4⁺ T cell count dependent manner during HIV/latent TB co-infection, suggesting a higher risk of developing active TB during pregnancy as a result of failing to control TB infection.

由于HIV合并感染，结核病（TB）的免疫力受到抑制，怀孕后可进一步增强这种抑制作用。但是，对于HIV /潜伏性结核病合并感染期间妊娠对结核分枝杆菌（结核分枝杆菌）特异性免疫反应的影响尚不清楚。在这里，我们调查了艾滋病毒/潜在结核病合并感染孕妇的结核分枝杆菌特异性功能性Th1，Th2和抗体反应的变化。怀孕与HIV感染同时，以CD4 ⁺ T细胞计数依赖性方式触发结核分枝杆菌特异性IFN-γ反应的实质性抑制，而IL-4和IgG反应的变化却很小。相反，结核分枝杆菌HIV合并感染期间，潜伏性结核感染的孕妇体内特异性IL-10的产生显着增加。这些发现表明，在HIV /潜伏性结核病合并感染期间，妊娠以CD4 ⁺ T细胞计数依赖性的方式抑制了抗分枝杆菌保护性免疫应答，这表明由于无法控制结核病感染，妊娠期间发生活动性结核病的风险更高。