title: The Role of CD4 and CD8 T Cells in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.
abstract: Leishmaniasis, caused by infection with parasites of the Leishmania genus, affects millions of individuals worldwide. This disease displays distinct clinical manifestations ranging from self-healing skin lesions to severe tissue damage. The control of Leishmania infection is dependent on cellular immune mechanisms, and evidence has shown that CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes play different roles in the outcome of leishmaniasis. Although the presence of CD4 T cells is important for controlling parasite growth, the results in the literature suggest that the inflammatory response elicited by these cells could contribute to the pathogenesis of lesions. However, recent studies on CD8 T lymphocytes show that these cells are mainly involved in tissue damage through cytotoxic mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the study of the human adaptive immunological response in the pathogenesis of tegumentary leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) Bahia , Salvador , Brazil.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Silva Santos
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) Bahia , Salvador , Brazil ; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia , Salvador , Brazil ; Instituto de Investigação em Imunologia - Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (iii-INCT) , Salvador , Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia Ida
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Brodskyn
keywords: CD4 and CD8 T cells; Leishmania braziliensis; adaptive immunity; cutaneous leishmaniasis; human adaptive immunology; immune response