Glutathione levels and immune responses in tuberculosis patients.

Glutathione levels are significantly reduced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and red blood cells isolated from tuberculosis patients. Treatment of blood cultures from tuberculosis patients with N-acetyl cysteine, a glutathione precursor, was associated with improved control of intracellular M. tuberculosis infection. N-acetyl-cysteine treatment decreased the levels of IL-10, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1, in blood cultures derived from tuberculosis patients, favoring the host immune cells to successfully control M. tuberculosis replication.