Tuberculosis (TB)

TB is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. TB typically is a disease of the lung, which serves both as a port of entry and as the major site of disease outbreaks. This is followed by an early inflammatory response, induced by both bacterial and host factors, which results in the recruitment of leukocytes from neighboring blood vessels to the site of infection. Subversion of the death modality of macrophages, the principal host cells infected by TB, is a common feature of several other intracellular pathogens. Various bacteria and intracellular parasites induce apoptosis or necrosis following infection. Learn more about macrophages in Tuberculosis