title: Increased serum circulatory levels of interleukin 17F in type 1 reactions of leprosy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae affecting mainly skin and peripheral nerves. Acute inflammatory episodes in the borderline immunological spectrum of the disease cause severe nerve and tissue damage leading to deformities. Finding of any serological marker for leprosy reactions will help in prediction of reactions and in early treatment intervention. The objective of this study was to measure the serum circulatory levels of Interleukin 17F (IL 17F) and to correlate the levels with type 1 and type 2 reactional states and with clinico-histopathological spectrum of leprosy. We studied IL 17F to delineate its role and its clinical implications in leprosy reactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were classified based on the Ridley DS and Jopling WH Classification and blood samples (5 ml each) were collected from 80 active untreated leprosy cases in Type 1 reaction (T1R), 21 cases in Type 2 (Erythema Nodosum Leprosum ENL) reaction (T2R), 80 cases without reaction (NR), and 94 non-leprosy cases (NL). Serum was separated and measured for IL 17F levels using ELISA (Commercial Kits, R&D Systems Inc., USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL 17F levels were significantly higher in the T1R group when compared to the NR group (p < 0.001). The borderline lepromatous group showed the highest levels of IL 17F among the other groups in the disease spectrum. Bacteriological index (BI) showed negative correlation with the IL 17F levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results specify that serum circulatory levels of IL 17F are elevated during T1Rs in the borderline spectrum of the disease and thus may play a role in the regulation of inflammatory responses associated with reactions in leprosy.
authors: Stanley Browne Research Laboratory, The Leprosy Mission Community Hospital, Nand Nagri, Shahdara, New Delhi, India, 110093. sundeepchaitanya@gmail.com
authors: Sundeep
authors: S
authors: Chaitanya
authors: Mallika
authors: M
authors: Lavania
authors: Ravindra P
authors: RP
authors: Turankar
authors: Samuel Raj
authors: SR
authors: Karri
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Sengupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C440021:IL17F protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17