title: Differential dermal expression of CCL17 and CCL18 in tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leprosy is characterized by polar clinical, histologic and immunological presentations. Previous immunologic studies of leprosy polarity were limited by the repertoire of cytokines known at the time.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a candidate gene approach to measure mRNA levels in skin biopsies from leprosy lesions. mRNA from 24 chemokines and cytokines, and 6 immune cell type markers were measured from 85 Nepalese leprosy subjects. Selected findings were confirmed with immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of three soluble mediators (CCL18, CCL17 and IL-10) and one macrophage cell type marker (CD14) was significantly elevated in lepromatous (CCL18, IL-10 and CD14) or tuberculoid (CCL17) lesions. Higher CCL18 protein expression by immunohistochemistry and a trend in increased serum CCL18 in lepromatous lesions was observed. No cytokines were associated with erythema nodosum leprosum or Type I reversal reaction following multiple comparison correction. Hierarchical clustering suggested that CCL18 was correlated with cell markers CD209 and CD14, while neither CCL17 nor CCL18 were highly correlated with classical TH1 and TH2 cytokines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that CCL17 and CCL18 dermal expression is associated with leprosy polarity.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Berrington
authors.affiliation: Mycobacterial Research Laboratory, Anandaban Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Chhatra B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Kunwar
authors.affiliation: Mycobacterial Research Laboratory, Anandaban Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neupane
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Susan J F
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van den Eeden
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vary
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Glenna J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geluk
authors.affiliation: Mycobacterial Research Laboratory, Anandaban Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Deanna A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hagge
authors.affiliation: University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hawn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C111792:CCL18 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D019742:Chemokines, CC; C508609:IL10 protein, human; D016753:Interleukin-10