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Published on: July 28, 2010
Activated inflammatory T cells correlate with lesion size in human cutaneous leishmaniasis
Lis R V Antonelli1, Walderez O Dutra, Roque P Almeida
1Department of Biochemistry-Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences-Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG-ICB), Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627 Belo Horizonte, MG 31640-970, Brazil.
Insights
This study links immune cell activity to leishmaniasis severity. Activated CD4(+) T cells correlate with larger skin tests, while activated CD8(+) T cells correlate with smaller ones, aiding disease understanding.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Parasitology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Leishmaniasis is a significant global parasitic disease.
- Understanding the immune response is crucial for managing leishmaniasis.
- Flow cytometry offers a method to analyze immune cell phenotypes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate immunological phenotypes with clinical indicators in human leishmaniasis.
- To investigate the relationship between T cell activation and disease manifestations.
- To explore immune markers predictive of leishmaniasis progression.
Main Methods:
- Flow cytometry was used to determine immunological phenotypes in leishmaniasis patients.
- Clinical measurements included the Montenegro skin test (MST) and lesion area.
- Immune cell activation and cytokine production were analyzed ex vivo and after stimulation with Leishmania soluble antigen (SLA).
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between MST size and recent activated CD4(+) T cells.
- Higher frequencies of recent activated CD8(+) T cells correlated with smaller MST size.
- Lesion area correlated positively with activated CD69(+) and CD40L(+) T lymphocytes, and with SLA-specific IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha producing cells.
Conclusions:
- Immunological markers are significantly correlated with clinical indicators of human leishmaniasis.
- These findings enhance the understanding of leishmaniasis disease evolution.
- The study highlights the utility of flow cytometry in assessing immune responses in leishmaniasis.
Abstract:
Leishmaniasis is an important parasitic disease affecting millions worldwide. In attempts to understand the clinical relevance of immunological measurements as determined using flow cytometry, several immunological phenotypes were determined for a group of well defined human leishmaniasis patients and correlated with clinical measurements of the disease (Montenegro skin test (MST) and lesion area). The analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between the MST size and the frequency of ex vivo recent activated CD4(+) T cells. In contrast, higher frequencies of recent activated CD8(+) T cells were correlated with a smaller MST size. Moreover, a positive correlation was observed between the lesion total area and the frequency of activated CD69(+) (ex vivo) and CD40L(+) (cultured with Leishmania soluble antigen (SLA)) T lymphocytes. Finally, larger lesions were also correlated with a higher frequency of SLA specific inflammatory cytokine (IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha) producing lymphocytes. These studies demonstrate that immunological markers are correlated with clinical indicators of human leishmaniasis and serve to better understand the evolution of this important parasitic disease.
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