Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv Strain Increases the Frequency of CD3(+)TCR(+) Macrophages and Affects Their Phenotype, but Not Their Migration Ability

In mycobacterial infections, the number of cells from two newly discovered subpopulations of CD3(+) myeloid cells are increased at the infection site; one type expresses the T cell receptor (CD3(+)TCRαβ(+)) and the other does not (CD3(+)TCRαβ(−)). The role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) virulence in generating these subpopulations and the ability of these cells to migrate remains unclear. In this study, monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) infected in vitro with either a virulent (H37Rv) or an avirulent (H37Ra) Mtb strain were phenotypically characterized based on three MDM phenotypes (CD3(−), CD3(+)TCRαβ(+), and CD3(+)TCRαβ(−)); then, their migration ability upon Mtb infection was evaluated. We found no differences in the frequency of CD3(+) MDMs at 24 h of infection with either Mtb strain. However, H37Rv infection increased the frequency of CD3(+)TCRαβ(+) MDMs at a multiplicity of infection of 1 and altered the expression of CD1b, CD1c, and TNF on the surface of cells from both the CD3(+) MDM subpopulations; it also modified the expression of CCR2, CXCR1, and CCR7, thus affecting CCL2 and IL-8 levels. Moreover, H37Rv infection decreased the migration ability of the CD3(−) MDMs, but not CD3(+) MDMs. These results confirm that the CD3(+) macrophage subpopulations express chemokine receptors that respond to chemoattractants, facilitating cell migration. Together, these data suggest that CD3(+) MDMs are a functional subpopulation involved in the immune response against Mtb.