title: In vitro and skin lesion cytokine profile in Brazilian patients with borderline tuberculoid and borderline lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the in vitro and skin lesions production of cytokines in non-treated borderline tuberculoid (BT) and borderline lepromatous (BL) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven untreated, non-reactional BT patients and 12 untreated, non-reactional BL patients were studied. Levels of the cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-10, TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha were measured in supernantant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures, stimulated with specific M. leprae antigen (sonicated and whole). The cytokines iNOS, IL-10 and TGF-beta1 were detected by immunohistochemistry in skin biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BT patients produced higher levels of IFN-gamma than BL patients; iNOS expression in skin lesions was also higher in BT patients. TGF-beta1 was detected in more cells in BL patients; IL-10 expression was similar in both groups. There was a negative correlation between iNOS and TGF-beta1 expression in skin biopsies, positive correlation between TGF-beta1 in skin lesions and bacillary index, as well as positive correlation between iNOS detected in skin biopsies and PBMC IFN-gamma production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BT patients had a mainly a Th1-profile of cytokines in their skin lesions and BL patients had a Th2 profile.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Doenças Tropicais, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Venturini
authors.forename: Cléverson Teixeira
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Andréa de Faria Fernandes
authors.initials: Ade F
authors.lastname: Belone
authors.forename: Jaison Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Somei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: José Roberto Pereira
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lauris
authors.forename: Fatima Regina
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Vilani-Moreno
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II