title: Serial measurement of the circulating levels of tumour necrosis factor and its soluble receptors 1 and 2 for monitoring leprosy patients during multidrug treatment.
abstract: Leprosy is an infectious and contagious spectral disease accompanied by a series of immunological events triggered by the host response to the aetiologic agent, Mycobacterium leprae . The induction and maintenance of the immune/inflammatory response in leprosy are linked to multiple cell interactions and soluble factors, primarily through the action of cytokines. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and its soluble receptors (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2) in leprosy patients at different stages of multidrug treatment (MDT) in comparison with non-infected individuals and to determine their role as putative biomarkers of the severity of leprosy or the treatment response. ELISA was used to measure the levels of these molecules in 30 healthy controls and 37 leprosy patients at the time of diagnosis and during and after MDT. Our results showed increases in the serum levels of TNF-α and sTNF-R2 in infected individuals in comparison with controls. The levels of TNF-α, but not sTNF-R2, decreased with treatment. The current results corroborate previous reports of elevated serum levels of TNF-α in leprosy and suggest a role for sTNF-R2 in the control of this cytokine during MDT.
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belo Horizonte, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rosane Dias
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Inflamação e Metabolismo, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, DiamantinaMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Amaral
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Frederico Marianetti
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Soriani
authors.affiliation: Universidade José do Rosário Vellano, AlfenasMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.affiliation: Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rachel Adriana
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Penido
authors.affiliation: Universidade José do Rosário Vellano, AlfenasMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Duarte Dias
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belo Horizonte, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marina Dias
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Alfenas, AlfenasMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fabio de Souza
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mauro Martins
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belo Horizonte, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carlos Mauricio de Figueiredo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo HorizonteMG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antonio Lúcio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000097:blood*; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha