title: Absence of gamma interferon and interleukin 2 production during active visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The lymphocytes from eight patients with active visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a disease associated with marked immunologic dysfunction, were examined for ability to produce interleukin 2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon during in vitro cultivation. It was found that both IL-2 and gamma interferon production, in response to leishmania antigen, was absent during the active disease, but was restored after successful chemotherapy. Untreated VL patients produced IL-2 and gamma interferon when stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Six patients with either active cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis, a disease not associated with immunosuppression, showed high levels of gamma interferon in response to leishmania antigen and PHA. Since IL-2 and gamma interferon have been shown to have important roles in the immune response and in the killing of leishmania, their absence may represent a key defect in the immune response in VL.
mesh_terms: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D000965:Antimony / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000965:Antimony