2004Tuberculosis is a major health problem throughout the world causing large number of deaths,more than that from any other single infectious disease. The review attempts to summarize theinformation available on host immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Since the mainroute of entry of the causative agent is the respiratory route, alveolar macrophages are theimportant cell types, which combat the pathogen. Various aspects of macrophage-mycobacteriuminteractions and the role of macrophage in host response such as binding of M. tuberculosis tomacrophages via surface receptors, phagosome-lysosome fusion, mycobacterial growthinhibition/killing through free radical based mechanisms such as reactive oxygen and nitrogenintermediates; cytokine-mediated mechanisms; recruitment of.
