Effect of recombinant interferon gamma administration on lesional monocytes/macrophages in lepromatous leprosy patients.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2-) were estimated in lesional cells from 10 lepromatous leprosy patients injected intralesionally with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma). Clinically similar contralateral lesions injected with excipient served as controls. Lesional esterase-positive cells (suggestive of monocytes/macrophages) from rIFN-gamma-injected sites of many subjects showed net increments in the H2O2 and O2 levels compared to controls. When these cells were exposed to Mycobacterium leprae in vitro, there was a down-regulation of O2- in 4 of 5 subjects. Such inhibition was not observed in rIFN-gamma-injected sites. From the present studies it was not possible to determine whether the above effects of rIFN-gamma were primarily on lesional mature macrophages or on newly migrated young monocytes. Erythema and induration were observed at the cytokine-injected site but not at the control site between 24 and 72 hr. A monthly slit-skin smear examination of the former site showed a bacterial index (BI) reduction compared to the controls in 4 of 10 patients, this reduction occurring as early as 4 to 8 weeks. Histopathology of the biopsies of 6 of 10 subjects between 9 and 10 months showed a further BI decrease attributable to rIFN-gamma and not to the subsequently instituted chemotherapy.
Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.
K S
KS
SivaSai
H K
HK
Prasad
R S
RS
Misra
V
V
Ramesh
D
D
Wilfred
I
I
Nath
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013481:Superoxides; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide