Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

The bm12 Inducible Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: November 1, 2015
[The SLAM-associated protein (SAP) regulates IFN-gamma expression in leprosy]
María F Quiroga1, Gustavo J Martínez, Virginia Pasquinelli
1Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología y Laboratorio de Immunogenética, Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martin, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
The SLAM-associated protein (SAP) regulates IFN-gamma expression in leprosy. Tuberculoid leprosy patients locally produce Th1 cytokines, while lepromatous patients produce Th2 cytokines. Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) and the SLAM-associated protein (SAP) participate in the differentiation process that leads to the production of specific patterns of cytokines by activated T cells. To investigate the SLAM/SAP pathway in M. leprae infection, we determined the expression of SAP, IFN-gamma and SLAM RNA messenger in leprosy patients. We found a direct correlation of SLAM expression with IFN-gamma expression, whereas the expression of SAP was inversely correlated with the expression of both SLAM and IFN-gamma. Therefore, our data indicate that SAP might interfere with Th1 cytokine responses while SLAM expression may contribute to Th1 responses in leprosy. This study further suggests that the SLAM/SAP pathway might be a focal point for therapeutic modulation of T cell cytokine responses in diseases characterized by dysfunctional Th2 responses.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
Leaky Scanning
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

