title: Transforming growth factor β and apoptosis in leprosy skin lesions: possible relationship with the control of the tissue immune response in the Mycobacterium leprae infection.
abstract: The course of leprosy depends of the host immune response which ranges from the lepromatous pole (LL) to the tuberculoid pole (TT). A comparative study was conducted in 60 patients with the LL and TT. The results showed a mean expression of TGF-β of 339 ± 99.4 cells/field for TT and of 519.2 ± 68.2 cells/field for LL. Frequency of apoptosis was 6.3 ± 1.8 in TT and 14.0 ± 6.1 in LL. A correlation (p = 0.0251) between TGF-β and caspase-3 in the LL was found. This finding indicates a role of TGF-β and apoptosis in the immune response in leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Imunopatologia, Nucleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Para, Av. Generalissimo Deodoro 92, Umarizal, Belem-PA 66055-240, Brazil. juarez@pesquisador.cnpq.br
authors.forename: Juarez Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Simoes Quaresma
authors.forename: Fabrício Anderson Carvalho
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Tinara Leila
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: de Souza Aarao
authors.forename: Luis Paulo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: de Miranda Araujo Soares
authors.forename: Ismaelino Mauro
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Nunes Magno
authors.forename: Hellen Thais
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Fuzii
authors.forename: Rosana Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Feio Libonati
authors.forename: Marilia Brasil
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagliari
authors.forename: Maria Irma
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Seixas Duarte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053148:Caspase 3