Night sweats in tuberculosis are caused by the body's immune response to the infection, particularly due to the release of pyrogens like interleukin-1 and TNF-alpha. These trigger a fever that breaks at night, leading to excessive sweating. It reflects the chronic inflammatory state and cyclical fever pattern typical of TB.
The primary cause of night sweats in tuberculosis (TB) is immune-mediated cytokine responses, specifically those involving tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The hypothalamic thermoregulatory center is known to be impacted by these cytokines, which can result in fever and subsequent night sweats during the cooling phase. However, siderophores have a distinct function in the pathophysiology of tuberculosis. They primarily help Mycobacterium tuberculosis acquire iron, which promotes bacterial survival and growth inside the host. They don't, however, directly cause systemic symptoms like perspiration. Consequently, siderophores are not thought to be the cause of TB night sweats, even though they are crucial for bacterial growth.