title: Suppression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha expression in leprosy skin lesions during treatment for leprosy.
abstract: The expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in leprosy skin lesions was examined before and during successful treatment in a patient with borderline lepromatous leprosy. Before treatment, immunohistochemical staining of a skin biopsy specimen showed diffuse TNF-alpha deposits in granulomas and significant TNF-alpha deposits on infiltrated mononuclear cells. After 1 year's treatment, the skin lesions exhibited a reduction in granulomas, and a concomitant reduction in deposits of TNF-alpha. Furthermore, the level of expression of TNF-alpha messenger RNA, as examined using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method, was reduced markedly after treatment. These findings provide evidence for a correlation between the expression of TNF-alpha and disease activity suggesting that TNF-alpha is a useful prognostic indicator for inflammation in leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Yokohama City University, School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koseki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015242:Ofloxacin