A Study on the Role of the Reactive Oxygen Species in Human Mononuclear Cells Infected with Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

India accounts for one-fifth of global burden of tuberculosis. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are posing a threat to the control of tuberculosis. WHO has declared a global emergency against this killer disease.This study was carried out with the aims & objectives: 1. To determine the modulatory role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in TB management by employing specific inhibitor of oxygen radicals N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) 2. Co-relation of N-acetyl-cysteine with the anti-oxidant enzyme level of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). This was a case control study. Study involved ten healthy non-smoking volunteers as control and thirty newly diagnosed cases presenting to TB and Chest department. Chemicals of highest analytical grade available were used. TNF-α.and GPx assay was done on healthy controls and on patients before and after treating with NAC in-vitro. Paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. We found that mean TNF-α activity level in controls and cases was 77.98+/9.2 and around 35+/-4 respectively. Mean GPx activity level in controls and cases was 4.53+/-1.53 and around 132+/-14 respectively. The difference was highly significant in both the cases (P<0.01). After treating cases in vitro ; monocyte culture with NAC we found a highly significant increase in TNF-α (P<0.01) and GPx activity level (P<0.01). It was concluded that the oxidative stress produced by monocytes of TB patients is reversed by treating with NAC in vitro.