title: Lymphocyte phenotyping, using cluster-of-differentiation (CD) markers, in young Iraqi children with visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The lymphocytic phenotypes involved in the pathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Iraqi children have recently been investigated, in a study based on cluster-of-differentiation (CD) markers. Each case of VL investigated was confirmed parasitologically by the observation of amastigotes in a bone-marrow smear. Compared with the values for the healthy children used as controls, a lymphocyte from an untreated VL case was significantly less likely to be CD3+ or CD4+, significantly more likely to be CD8+, and more (but not significantly more) likely to be CD22+. The untreated cases also had significantly lower CD4+/CD8+ ratios than the controls. Among the untreated cases, gender and age had no apparent effect on any of these variables. After 28 days of treatment with sodium stibogluconate, there was a trend towards normalization in the lymphocytic phenotypes of the VL cases, with significant increases in the CD4+/CD8+ ratios and the percentages of lymphocytes that were CD3+ or CD4+, and a significant decrease in the percentages of lymphocytes that were CD22+.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Babylon University, Hilla, Iraq. yassir.almullahummadi@ymail.com
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Taher
authors.forename: Y M K
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Al-Mulla Hummadi
authors.forename: N M T
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Al-Bashir
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al-Araji
mesh_terms: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate