Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37418488›Full record

ArticlePLoS pathogens2023

An acidic microenvironment in Tuberculosis increases extracellular matrix degradation by regulating macrophage inflammatory responses.

Ashley M Whittington, Frances S Turner, Friedrich Baark, Sam Templeman, Daniela E Kirwan, Candice Roufosse, Nitya Krishnan, Brian D Robertson, Deborah L W Chong, Joanna C Porter and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS pathogens, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Towards host-directed therapy: The role of matrix metalloproteinases in the immunopathogenesis of tuberculosis.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Adaptive immunity shapes baseline physiology ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Lung epithelial injury impairs early host immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Incidence and Risk Factors of Tuberculosis-Associated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Ashley M WhittingtonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-4009-7647
Frances S TurnerEdinburgh Genomics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Friedrich BaarkDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Sam TemplemanDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Daniela E KirwanInstitute of Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Candice RoufosseDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Nitya KrishnanDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Brian D RobertsonDepartment of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Deborah L W ChongInstitute of Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Joanna C PorterCentre for Inflammation & Tissue Repair, Respiratory Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Robert H GilmanDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
Jon S FriedlandInstitute of Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Imperial College London · GBSt George's, University of London · GBCentre for Inflammation Research · GBEdinburgh Genomics · GBJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

Department of Health ACF-2010-21-032Medical Research Council MR/L001683/1Medical Research Council MR/P019978/1Medical Research Council MR/P019978/2Medical Research Council MR/P028225/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection causes marked tissue inflammation leading to lung destruction and morbidity. The inflammatory extracellular microenvironment is acidic, however the effect of this acidosis on the immune response to M.tb is unknown. Using RNA-seq we show that acidosis produces system level transcriptional change in M.tb infected human macrophages regulating almost 4000 genes. Acidosis specifically upregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation pathways with increased expression of Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which mediate lung destruction in Tuberculosis. Macrophage MMP-1 and -3 secretion was increased by acidosis in a cellular model. Acidosis markedly suppresses several cytokines central to control of M.tb infection including TNF-α and IFN-γ. Murine studies demonstrated expression of known acidosis signaling G-protein coupled receptors OGR-1 and TDAG-8 in Tuberculosis which are shown to mediate the immune effects of decreased pH. Receptors were then demonstrated to be expressed in patients with TB lymphadenitis. Collectively, our findings show that an acidic microenvironment modulates immune function to reduce protective inflammatory responses and increase extracellular matrix degradation in Tuberculosis. Acidosis receptors are therefore potential targets for host directed therapy in patients.

Indexed as

Mycobacterium tuberculosisTuberculosisAnimalsExtracellular MatrixHumansMacrophagesMiceSignal Transduction

Identifiers

PMID37418488
PMCPMC10355421
OpenAlexW4383500312

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.