title: Interleukin-15, as interferon-gamma, induces the killing of Leishmania infantum in phorbol-myristate-acetate-activated macrophages increasing interleukin-12.
abstract: The potential leishmanicidal activity of interleukin-15 (IL-15) was examined while priming with the cytokine phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA)-activated macrophages and infecting them with Leishmania infantum parasites. The activation of macrophage cultures with IL-15 determined a significant anti-leishmanial activity, comparable with that induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The killing of Leishmania in macrophages primed with IL-15, as well as with IFN-gamma, was followed by an increase in the IL-12 synthesis. The neutralization of IL-15 or IFN-gamma, by specific monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) caused a significant reduction in leishmanicidal activity. Furthermore, in PMA-activated macrophages, the neutralization of IL-12 production by a specific anti-IL-12 MoAb reduced leishmanicidal activity induced by IL-15 and IFN-gamma. Data indicate that IL-15 could have a role as an activator of leishmanicidal activity, directly or indirectly, by inducing IL-12 production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immuno-Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arcoleo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Bella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chifari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansueto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cillari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate