Differential effects of antigens from L. braziliensis isolates from disseminated and cutaneous leishmaniasis on in vitro cytokine production.
BACKGROUND
Disseminated leishmaniasis is an emerging infectious disease, mostly due to L. braziliensis, which has clinical and histopathological features distinct from cutaneous leishmaniasis.


METHODS
In the current study we evaluated the in vitro production of the cytokines IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-5 and IL-10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 15 disseminated leishmaniasis and 24 cutaneous leishmaniasis patients upon stimulation with L. braziliensis antigens genotyped as disseminated leishmaniasis or cutaneous leishmaniasis isolates.


RESULTS
Regardless of the source of L. braziliensis antigens, PBMC from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients produced significantly higher IFN-gamma than PBMC from disseminated leishmaniasis patients. Levels of TNF-alpha by PBMC from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients were significantly higher than disseminated leishmaniasis patients only when stimulated by genotyped cutaneous leishmaniasis antigens. The levels of IL-5 and IL-10 production by PBMC were very low and similar in PBMCs from both disseminated leishmaniasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. The immune response of each patient evaluated by the two L. braziliensis antigens was assessed in a paired analysis in which we showed that L. braziliensis genotyped as disseminated leishmaniasis isolate was more potent than L. braziliensis genotyped as cutaneous leishmaniasis isolate in triggering IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production in both diseases and IL-5 only in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that antigens prepared from genotypically distinct strains of L. braziliensis induce different degrees of immune response. It also indicates that both parasite and host play a role in the outcome of L. braziliensis infection.
Leopoldo
Paulo T G
PT
Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil. pauloleopoldo@bol.com.br
Machado
Paulo R L
PR
Almeida
Roque P
RP
Schriefer
Albert
A
Giudice
Angela
A
de Jesus
Amélia Ribeiro
AR
Ho
John L
JL
Guimarães
Luiz Henrique
LH
Bacellar
Olívia
O
Carvalho
Edgar M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D016774:Leishmaniasis, Diffuse Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines; D015848:Interleukin-5; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma