Interleukin-13 in Iranian patients with visceral leishmaniasis: relationship to other Th2 and Th1 cytokines.
The role of interleukin (IL)-13, a Th2 cytokine sharing many of the features of IL-4, has not previously been examined in patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). We examined sera from Iranian patients with VL caused by Leishmania infantum. Serum IL-13 was detected in 50% (22/44) of patients with active primary disease. In comparison, IL-10 was detected in 79.5% (35/44), interferon gamma (IFN gamma) in 38.5% (17/44), and IL-4 in only 5% (2/44) of these patients. With few exceptions all 3 cytokines were undetectable after clinical recovery following antimony therapy. Five of 7 patients (71%) who failed antimony therapy and had relapsing disease had similar levels of IL-10 to patients with active primary disease. However, with only 1 exception, IL-13, IFN gamma and IL-4 were not detected in such patients. These data suggest that relapsing disease may result from defective cellular immunity, unrelated to immunosuppression mediated by IL-10.
Tabris University of Medical Sciences, Department of Immunology, Tabriz, Iran. zbabaloo@tbzmed.ac.ir
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Babaloo
P M
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Kaye
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Eslami
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood*; D007492:Iran; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D018793:Interleukin-13; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma