ABSTRACT

This chapter presents the role of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the immune system and infection. It begins by describing the function of GSH in physiological processes. The chapter then introduces several key ways by which GSH allows for increased control of intracellular infections through its influence on cells of the innate immune system. It discusses the immune-stimulating effects of GSH supplementation in T-cells, leading to improved control of M. tuberculosis infection inside monocytes and macrophages. Like macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs) are one of the most immediate effectors of innate immunity. Cytokines produced by DCs, macrophages, and Natural Killer (NK) cells work in concert to direct a T-cell response during infection. During infection, NK cells act as inflammatory cytokine-producing cytotoxic lymphocytes. T helper cells are regulators of the type of adaptive response the immune system will develop. The chapter considers GSH in the context of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.