The Ambiguous Role of Treg Cells in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pathogenesis

Tuberculosis is the second life-threatening infectious disease in the world, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). It is estimated almost 2 billion people are infected with M. tuberculosis (Mtb), with approximately 5 - 10% of this population being involved with the active form of tuberculosis. According to theWorld Health Organization (WHO) report in 2016, about 10.4 millionnew TB cases and 1.7 million deaths from TB occur around the worldwide (1, 2). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) plays an important role in susceptibility to tuberculosis. Among new TB cases in 2016, 0.4 million was also contaminated with HIV accounting for 40% of all TB cases (1-3).