title: Immunologic response and memory T cells in subjects cured of tegumentary leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main clinical forms of tegumentary leishmaniasis are cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). L.braziliensis infection is characterized by an exaggerated production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, cytokines involved in parasite destruction, but also in the pathology. Maintenance of an antigen-specific immune response may be important for resistance to re-infection and will contribute for vaccine development. In the present work we investigated the immune response in CL and ML cured individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in the present study included 20 CL and 20 ML patients, who were evaluated prior to, as well as 2 to 15 years after therapy. IFN-gamma, IL-2 and TNF-alpha production were determined by ELISA in supernatants of mononuclear cells stimulated with soluble L.braziliensis antigen (SLA). The frequency of memory CD4+ T cell populations was determined by FACS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we show that the majority of CL and ML patients did not produce in vitro IFN-gamma in response to SLA after cure. In the cured individuals who responded to SLA, effector memory (CD45RA-CCR7-) CD4+ T cells were the ones producing IFN-gamma. Because a large percent of CL and ML cured patients lost SLA-induced IFN-gamma production in peripheral blood, we performed Leishmania skin test (LST). A positive LST was found in 87.5% and 100% of CL and ML cured individuals, respectively, who did not produce IFN-gamma or IL-2 in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that in spite of losing in vitro antigen-specific response to Leishmania, cured CL and ML subjects retain the ability to respond to SLA in vivo. These findings indicate that LST, rather than IFN-gamma production, may be a better assessment of lasting immunity to leishmaniasis in human studies, and thus a better tool for assessing immunization after vaccine. Furthermore, in cured individuals which maintains Leishmania-specific IFN-gamma production, effector memory CD4+ T cells were the main source of this cytokine.
authors.forename: Augusto M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Lucas P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Olívia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bacellar
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunologia, Hospital Universitário Prof, Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Rua João das Botas s/n, Canela 40110-160, BA, Brazil. imuno@ufba.br.
authors.forename: Edgar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007371:Interferon-gamma