Interleukin-26 expression in tuberculosis disease and its regulatory effect in macrophage polarization and intracellular elimination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis(TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections, remains the leading cause of mortality from a single infectious agent globally. The progression of tuberculosis disease is contingent upon the complex interplay between the host’s immune system and the pathogen Mtb. Interleukin-26 (IL-26), the most recently identified cytokine belonging to the IL-10 family, exhibits both extracellular antimicrobial properties and pro-inflammatory functions. However, the precise role of IL-26 in the host immune defense against Mtb infections and intracellular killing remains largely unexplored. In this study, we observed significantly elevated IL-26 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of active-TB patients compared to healthy individuals. Conversely, circulating IL-26 levels in the plasma of adult TB patients were markedly lower than those of healthy cohorts. We purified recombinant IL-26 from an E . coli expression system using the Ni-NTA resin. Upon stimulations with the recombinant IL-26, human THP1 cells exhibited rapid morphological changes characterized by increased irregular spindle shape and formation of granular structures. Treating THP1 cells with IL-26 can also lead to heightened expressions of CD80 , TNF-α , and iNOS but not CD206 and Arg1 in these cells, indicating an M1 macrophage differentiation phenotype. Furthermore, our investigations revealed a dose-dependent escalation of reactive oxygen species production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced autophagy flux activity in THP1 macrophages following IL-26 treatment. Moreover, our results demonstrated that IL-26 contributed to the elimination of intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis via orchestrated ROS production. In conclusion, our findings elucidated the role of IL-26 in the development of tuberculosis and its contributions to intracellular bacilli killing by macrophages through the induction of M1-polarization and ROS production. These insights may have significant implications for understanding the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and developing novel therapeutic strategies.