title: Determination of the cytokine profile in American cutaneous leishmaniasis using the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The lymphokine profiles were determined in the skin lesions of the three distinct clinical forms of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and primers for various lymphokines. The message for interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta), and IL-8 was expressed in the three clinical forms of ACL. IL-1 beta mRNA was expressed in most localized (LCL) and mucocutaneous (MCL) leishmaniasis, but in only few of the diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL). IL-2 mRNA was detected in about half of the lesions, with more prominent values for MCL. IL-4 mRNA was present in most lesions from the three clinical forms, but markedly increased in DCL. IL-5 and IL-10 mRNAs were expressed in all MCL and in half of the DCL lesions and weakly expressed in LCL lesions. IL-10 mRNA was more abundant in MCL lesions. In contrast, IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNAs were expressed in a large number of LCL. In MCL, IL-6 mRNA was expressed in most cases and TNF-alpha mRNA in all the cases. In DCL, IL-6 mRNA was absent and TNF-alpha mRNA was weakly expressed. These results suggest that most T cells present in the MCL and DCL lesions secrete a mixture of type 1 and type 2 cytokine patterns, but in DCL granulomas type 2 cytokines predominate. In LCL the cytokine patterns show a mixture of type 1 and type 0 with a preponderance of IFN-gamma over IL-4, and low levels of IL-5 and IL-10. The lack of IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNAs, and the low expression of IL-1 beta in DCL lesions suggest a defect in the antigen-processing cells that may account for the state of unresponsiveness in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cáceres-Dittmar
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uyemura
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Modlin
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Convit
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D016774:Leishmaniasis, Diffuse Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger