BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical forms depending on the patient's immune response, in particular cell-mediated immune response. METHODS: Cytokines can play a role in the cell-mediated immune response. Serum levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 55 untreated leprosy patients and 35 reactional leprosy patients, in addition to 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Leprosy patients showed significantly higher serum levels of the studied cytokines (except IL-2) compared with healthy controls. When the two poles were compared, tuberculoid leprosy (TT) patients showed significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha with significant negative correlations with the bacterial index (BI), whereas lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients showed significantly higher serum levels of IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta with significant positive correlations with the BI. Both type I and type II reactional patients showed significantly higher serum IFN-gamma, IL-2R, and IL-1beta, in addition to IL-10 in type II reactional patients, compared with nonreactional leprosy patients. When compared with each other, type I reactional patients showed increased levels of IFN-gamma, whereas type II reactional patients showed increased levels of IL-10. CONCLUSIONS: In leprosy patients, both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are immunoprotective, whereas IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta are immunosuppressive. Our results indicate that type I reaction, with increased levels of IFN-gamma, is a cell-mediated immune response, whereas type II reaction, with increased levels of IL-10, is essentially an immune complex disease.
BACKGROUND:Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical forms depending on the patient's immune response, in particular cell-mediated immune response. METHODS: Cytokines can play a role in the cell-mediated immune response. Serum levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 55 untreated leprosypatients and 35 reactional leprosypatients, in addition to 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS:Leprosypatients showed significantly higher serum levels of the studied cytokines (except IL-2) compared with healthy controls. When the two poles were compared, tuberculoid leprosy (TT) patients showed significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha with significant negative correlations with the bacterial index (BI), whereas lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients showed significantly higher serum levels of IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta with significant positive correlations with the BI. Both type I and type II reactional patients showed significantly higher serum IFN-gamma, IL-2R, and IL-1beta, in addition to IL-10 in type II reactional patients, compared with nonreactional leprosypatients. When compared with each other, type I reactional patients showed increased levels of IFN-gamma, whereas type II reactional patients showed increased levels of IL-10. CONCLUSIONS: In leprosypatients, both IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha are immunoprotective, whereas IL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1beta are immunosuppressive. Our results indicate that type I reaction, with increased levels of IFN-gamma, is a cell-mediated immune response, whereas type II reaction, with increased levels of IL-10, is essentially an immune complex disease.
Authors: Luciana Silva Rodrigues; Mariana Andrea Hacker; Ximena Illarramendi; Maria Fernanda Miguens Castelar Pinheiro; José Augusto da Costa Nery; Euzenir Nunes Sarno; Maria Cristina Vidal Pessolani Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2011-12-13 Impact factor: 3.090
Authors: Mariane M Stefani; Jackeline G Guerra; Ana Lucia M Sousa; Mauricio B Costa; Maria Leide W Oliveira; Celina T Martelli; David M Scollard Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2009-05-27 Impact factor: 3.090
Authors: Rosane Dias Costa; Vanessa Amaral Mendonça; Frederico Marianetti Soriani; Sandra Lyon; Rachel Adriana Penido; Ana Maria Duarte Dias Costa; Marina Dias Costa; Fabio de Souza Terra; Mauro Martins Teixeira; Carlos Mauricio de Figueiredo Antunes; Antonio Lúcio Teixeira Journal: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz Date: 2013-12 Impact factor: 2.743
Authors: Rosane M B Teles; Jing Lu; Maria Tió-Coma; Isabela M B Goulart; Sayera Banu; Deanna Hagge; Kidist Bobosha; Tom H M Ottenhoff; Matteo Pellegrini; Annemieke Geluk; Robert L Modlin Journal: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Date: 2019-10-10