title: Pentoxifylline down modulate in vitro T cell responses and attenuate pathology in Leishmania and HTLV-I infections.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is known to have numerous biological properties relating to inflammation. This cytokine participates in the tissue damage of chronic inflammatory, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine that inhibits phosphodiesterase IV, which inhibits the degradation of the cAMP and prostanoids. The increased intracellular concentration of the cAMP leads to a negative regulation of NF-kappaB and NF-AT transcription factors and suppresses TNF-alpha production. This review describes studies that support evidences that TNF-alpha is involved in the pathogenesis of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy and of cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis. Additionally, it demonstrates the effect of pentoxifylline in vitro in inhibiting TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma spontaneous production in PBMC from HTLV-1-infected patients, as well as its in vivo effect in inhibiting TNF-alpha in sera from mucosal leishmaniasis patients. Moreover, we review the results of clinical studies from the last 10 years using pentoxifylline to treat HTLV-1 associated myelopathy and cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunologia, Hospital Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribeiro de Jesus
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Roque
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pacheco de Almeida
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Lima
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Edgar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007891:Leishmania; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D010431:Pentoxifylline