title: Serum tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1 in leprosy and during lepra reactions.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor--alpha (TNF), one of the mediators of septic shock, has a role in the immunopathological complications of several infections. However, its role in leprosy is yet unclear. In this study, serum TNF and IL-1 levels in 64 patients spread over the spectrum of leprosy [lepromatous leprosy (LL), 30; borderline lepromatous, 12; borderline borderline, 8; and borderline tuberculoid-tuberculoid leprosy, 14] were measured at the time of admission. Elevated levels of TNF ranging from 15 to 4500 pg/ml were detected in lepromatous leprosy cases (399 +/- 189) and low levels ranging from 15 to 160 pg/ml were detected in the tuberculoid form of leprosy. Patients undergoing type 1 and type 2 lepra reactions also exhibited high TNF levels of 15-2100 pg/ml. Of the 14 clinically healthy individuals studied, 3 showed TNF levels of 15, 50, and 58 pg/ml. Interleukin 1-beta (IL-1) levels were found to be significantly higher in LL cases (70-5000 pg/ml) (328 +/- 184) in comparison to other groups or normal controls (9 +/- 3). The coefficient of correlation between TNF and IL-1 levels was statistically significant in LL and reaction cases (r = 0.96, P less than 0.001). These patients were followed up as outpatients for a period of 1 year. It was observed that 4 out of 8 patients with TNF levels greater than 100 pg/ml went into lepra reactions between 2 and 6 months after entry into the study, whereas only 5 out of 56 with less than 100 pg/ml went into mild lepra reactions (chi 2 = 9.7, P less than 0.01). Determination of TNF and IL-1 levels thus seems to have a prognostic significance in terms of lepra reaction in patients.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Parida
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Zaheer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D007916:Lepromin / Q000032:analysis; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood*; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000097:blood; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000097:blood; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007916:Lepromin