| After Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection occurs in human body, there are 2 different disease entities, namely primary tuberculosis and post-primary (secondary) tuberculosis. In this paper, the important progress in the field of tuberculosis pathogenesis within recent years has been reviewed, including the protective immunity contributed by the primary tuberculosis that is characterized by alveolar macrophage, liposome, foamy macrophage and granuloma in the process of tuberculosis pathogenesis, while the tissue damaging immunological reaction caused by tuberculosis cavity and other secondary tuberculosis, in which MTB is released, escape and disseminated. A prolonged presence of MTB antigen in local tissue and the migration of hypersensitive lymphocyte in host contribute to the Koch Phenomenon, which is specific feature for the formation of tuberculosis immunity, and determine the transformation from latent tuberculosis infection to active tuberculosis. At present, there is a high prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection, thus the reinforced screening is the primary measure for prevention and control of tuberculosis. |