Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
CD4+ helper T cells mediate resistance to tuberculosis, presumably by enhancing the antimicrobial activity of macrophages within which the Mycobacterium tuberculosis organism grows. A first step in resistance should be the presentation of mycobacterial antigens by macrophages to CD4+ T cells. However, when the antigenic stimulus is limited to organisms growing in human monocytes, the organisms become sequestered from immune CD4+ T cells. This block in presentation is selective for growing mycobacteria and not for other stimuli. Sequestration would allow replicating organisms to persist in infected individuals and may contribute to virulence.
Pancholi et al. (1993) studied this question.