Successive Intramuscular Boosting with IFN-Alpha Protects Mycobacterium bovis BCG-Vaccinated Mice against M. lepraemurium Infection.
Leprosy caused by Mycobacterium leprae primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves. As a human infectious disease, it is still a significant health and economic burden on developing countries. Although multidrug therapy is reducing the number of active cases to approximately 0.5 million, the number of cases per year is not declining. Therefore, alternative host-directed strategies should be addressed to improve treatment efficacy and outcome. In this work, using murine leprosy as a model, a very similar granulomatous skin lesion to human leprosy, we have found that successive IFN-alpha boosting protects BCG-vaccinated mice against M. lepraemurium infection. No difference in the seric isotype and all IgG subclasses measured, neither in the TH1 nor in the TH2 type cytokine production, was seen. However, an enhanced iNOS/NO production in BCG-vaccinated/i.m. IFN-alpha boosted mice was observed. The data provided in this study suggest a promising use for IFN-alpha boosting as a new prophylactic alternative to be explored in human leprosy by targeting host innate cell response.
Unidad Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Avenida Preparatoria, S/N, Colonia Agronomicas, 98066 Zacatecas, ZAC, Mexico.
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Guerrero
Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Rangel-Moreno
Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Plan de Ayala, Colonia Santo Tomas, 11340 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
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Islas-Trujillo
Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Plan de Ayala, Colonia Santo Tomas, 11340 Mexico City, DF, Mexico.
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Rojas-Espinosa
D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D016898:Interferon-alpha