HUMAN ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGE FUNCTION IS IMPAIRED IN TUBERCULOSIS CONTACTS WITH DIABETES

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are more susceptible to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection and severe tuberculosis (TB). The underlying mechanisms contributing to this remain largely unknown. To fill this critical knowledge gap, we obtained human alveolar macrophages (HAMs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) from TB-exposed individuals with and without T2D in South Africa. We infected HAMs and MDMs ex vivo with live M.tb then collected RNA for RNAseq after 2, 24, 72h. Overall design: HAMs and MDMs from no T2D controls or T2D patients, with or without M.tb infection for 2, 24, or 72h