title: Comparison of Th1 and Th2 responses in non-healing and healing patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in many regions of Iran, including the city of Mashhad. In recent years, some cases have not responded to Glucantime, the usual treatment for this disease. The cellular immune response caused by T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells has an important role in protection against leishmaniasis, and activation of the T-helper type 2 (Th2) response causes progression of the disease. By analyzing these responses we hope to find a more effective treatment than that currently in use for leishmaniasis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cellular immune responses in 60 cases of non-healing and healing cutaneous leishmaniasis, and individuals in a control group, were analyzed by measuring cytokines released by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when stimulated with Leishmania major antigens by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects from the healing group secreted more interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (p<0.05) and less interleukins -4, -5, -10 (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10) (p<0.005) and -18 (IL-18) (p=0.003) than the non-healing group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that secretion of cytokines that activate Th2 response including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in non-healing subjects was higher than healing subjects and secretion of cytokines that activate Th1 response including IL-12 and IFN-γ in healing subjects was higher relative to the non-healing subjects. In this study it has been shown that the level of IL-18 progresses disease in non-healing patients when the level of IL-12 gets decreased.
authors.affiliation: Ghazvin University of Medical Sciences, Ghazvin, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahi
authors.affiliation: Parasitology & Medical Mycology Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohajery
authors.affiliation: Parasitology & Medical Mycology Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Ali Akbar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shamsian
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Departmen, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nahrevanian
authors.affiliation: Parasitology & Medical Mycology Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyyed Mohammad Javad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanah
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Cytokines; Glucantime