Immune response to Leishmania antigen in anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.
BACKGROUND
Leishmania (L.) tropica is the causative agent of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in Iran. The disease often heals within a year; however, the non-healing forms of disease are also known. The immunologic responses to L. major infection have been studied in depth, however little is known about the immune status of L. tropica-infected patients.


METHODS
This study was conducted to evaluate T-cell responses to Leishmania antigen in non-healing patients, patients with acute lesion, and healthy donors. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured with antigen and lymphoproliferative responses were determined. Cytokine profile including gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), interleukin (IL)-5, and IL-13 in supernatants of stimulated cells was also determined.


RESULTS
The results showed PBMC from both groups of patients proliferated vigorously in response to Leishmania antigens. The levels of IFN-gamma and IL-13 were comparable between patients with acute lesions and non-healing patients. Non-healing patients had significantly higher median levels of IL-5 than patients with acute lesions. The cells from healthy individuals did not respond to Leishmania antigens.


CONCLUSIONS
High levels of IFN-gamma, IL-5, and IL-13 in non-healing patients suggest a mixed Th1/Th2 response, whereas patients with acute lesion respond to infection by Th1-type response.
Ajdary
Soheila
S
Immunology department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. sohary@yahoo.com
Riazi-Rad
Farhad
F
Alimohammadian
Mohammad-Hossein
MH
Pakzad
Saeed-Reza
SR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016207:Cytokines