title: IL-17 and IL-22 are associated with protection against human kala azar caused by Leishmania donovani.
abstract: IL-17 and IL-22 have been shown to increase protection against certain bacteria and fungal pathogens in experimental models. However, no human studies have demonstrated a crucial role of IL-17 and IL-22 in protection against infections. We show here that Leishmania donovani, which can cause the lethal visceral disease Kala Azar (KA), stimulates the differentiation of Th17 cells, which produce IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-gamma. Analysis of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokine responses by cultured PBMCs from individuals in a cohort of subjects who developed KA or were protected against KA during a severe outbreak showed that IL-17 and IL-22 were strongly and independently associated with protection against KA. Our results suggest that, along with Th1 cytokines, IL-17 and IL-22 play complementary roles in human protection against KA, and that a defect in Th17 induction may increase the risk of KA.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, Unité 906, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Maira G R
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pitta
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cabantous
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henri
authors.forename: Awad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammad
authors.forename: Bouréma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kouriba
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Argiro
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: el Kheir
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bucheton
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mary
authors.forename: Sayda Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: El-Safi
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dessein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000502:physiology*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000502:physiology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000097043:Interleukin-22
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D053759:Interleukin-23; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D000097043:Interleukin-22