PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - P-J. Cardona AU - J. Ruiz-Manzano TI - On the nature of <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em>-latent bacilli AID - 10.1183/09031936.04.00072604 DP - 2004 Dec 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 1044--1051 VI - 24 IP - 6 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/24/6/1044.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/24/6/1044.full SO - Eur Respir J2004 Dec 01; 24 AB - Mycobacterium tuberculosis-latent bacilli are microorganisms that adaptto stressful conditions generated by the infected host against them. By slowing metabolism or becoming dormant, they may counterbalance these conditions and appear as silent to the immune system. Moreover, the dynamic turnover of the infected cells provokes a constant reactivation of the latent bacilli when the environmental conditions are favourable, or an activation after being dormant in necrotic and fibrotic lesions for a long period of time. Since there is no in vivo nor in vitro evidence for quick resuscitation of dormant bacilli, the current authors strongly favour the possibility that latent tuberculosis infection can be maintained for no longer than ∼10 yrs, which is, nowadays, a time period very close to that considered for “primary” tuberculosis. This concept may also be helpful for newer epidemiological considerations regarding the real impact of reinfection in tuberculosis. SERIES “CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN TUBERCULOSIS” Edited by A. Torres and J. Caminero Number 1 in this Series