Upregulation of miR-196b-5p attenuates BCG uptake via targeting SOCS3 and activating STAT3 in macrophages from patients with long-term cigarette smoking-related active pulmonary tuberculosis

Background Cigarette smoking (CS) triggers an intense and harmful inflammatory response in lungs mediated by alveolar and blood macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils and is closely associated with prevalence of tuberculosis (TB). The risk of death in patients with long-term cigarette smoking-related pulmonary tuberculosis (LCS-PTB) is approximately 4.5 times higher than those with nonsmoking pulmonary tuberculosis (N-PTB). However, the mechanisms underlying the harmful inflammatory responses in the setting of LCS-PTB have not been well documented.