BACKGROUND: Nerve damage is a common and disabling feature of leprosy, with unclear aetiology. It has been reported that the peroxidizing agents of myelin lipids-nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite-are produced in leprosy skin lesions. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the localization of nitrotyrosine (NT)-a local end-product of peroxynitrite-in leprosy lesions where dermal nerves are affected by a granulomatous reaction. METHODS: We investigated by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy the localization of the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NT in biopsies exhibiting dermal nerves from patients with untreated leprosy. RESULTS: There were abundant NT-positive and iNOS-positive macrophages in the borderline leprosy granulomas infiltrating peripheral nerves identified by light microscopy, S-100 and neurofilament immunostaining. Immunoelectron microscopy showed NT reactivity in neurofilament aggregates and in the cell wall of Mycobacterium leprae. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NO and peroxynitrite could be involved in the nerve damage following borderline leprosy.
BACKGROUND:Nerve damage is a common and disabling feature of leprosy, with unclear aetiology. It has been reported that the peroxidizing agents of myelin lipids-nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite-are produced in leprosy skin lesions. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the localization of nitrotyrosine (NT)-a local end-product of peroxynitrite-in leprosy lesions where dermal nerves are affected by a granulomatous reaction. METHODS: We investigated by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy the localization of the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NT in biopsies exhibiting dermal nerves from patients with untreated leprosy. RESULTS: There were abundant NT-positive and iNOS-positive macrophages in the borderline leprosy granulomas infiltrating peripheral nerves identified by light microscopy, S-100 and neurofilament immunostaining. Immunoelectron microscopy showed NT reactivity in neurofilament aggregates and in the cell wall of Mycobacterium leprae. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NO and peroxynitrite could be involved in the nerve damage following borderline leprosy.
Authors: M T Peña; J E Adams; L B Adams; T P Gillis; D L Williams; J S Spencer; J L Krahenbuhl; R W Truman Journal: Cytokine Date: 2008-06-16 Impact factor: 3.861
Authors: Cressida A Madigan; C J Cambier; Kindra M Kelly-Scumpia; Philip O Scumpia; Tan-Yun Cheng; Joseph Zailaa; Barry R Bloom; D Branch Moody; Stephen T Smale; Alvaro Sagasti; Robert L Modlin; Lalita Ramakrishnan Journal: Cell Date: 2017-08-24 Impact factor: 41.582