Tuberculosis bacillus is hidden in fats

2007/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Mikrobiologia
• Medikuntza

A team at the Pasteur Institute finds that the tuberculosis bacillus has a perfect shelter in fat cells. On the one hand, immune system cells are hardly accessible to fat cells and on the other hand, isoniazid, one of the most used antibiotics to treat tuberculosis, does not affect fat cells.

To understand this bacilli behavior, the research team first demonstrated that bacillus is able to grow into fat cells, where it is protected from isoniazid aggression. Subsequently, remains of bacillus were sought in fat cells of supposedly uncontaminated people. The result indicated that a quarter of those studied, without knowing, were contaminated by tuberculosis.

They previously knew that the tuberculosis bacillus can sleep for years in the host's body without causing disease. It is very common that although it is contaminated it does not develop tuberculosis, only 5-10% of the contaminated develop it.