IL-2 production was depressed in chronic protein deficient guinea pigs vaccinated with M bovis BCG.16 Result of a study on guinea pigs demonstrated that protein malnutrition potentiates the M. tuberculosis H37Rv-infected macrophages-monocytes to produce higher levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) which is a likely mediator of immunosuppression and immunopathogenesis in tuberculosis.14 Here, TGFB1 is linked to tuberculosis.