Serum Th1/Th2 and macrophage lineage cytokines in leprosy; correlation with circulating CD4(+) CD25(high) FoxP3(+) T-regs cells

• Published in: Experimental dermatology 2014-10, Vol.23 (10), p.742-747
• Main Authors: Abdallah, Marwa, Attia, Enas A S, Saad, Abeer A, El-Khateeb, Ekramy A, Lotfi, Rania A, Abdallah, Mahmoud, El-Shennawy, Dina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Case-Control Studies; Cytokines - blood; Female; Forkhead Transcription Factors - blood; Humans; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interleukin-12 - blood; Interleukin-1beta - blood; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit - blood; Interleukin-4 - blood; Leprosy - blood; Leprosy - classification; Leprosy - immunology; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - classification; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - metabolism; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1600-0625
• DOI: 10.1111/exd.12529

Not only macrophages, T-helper (Th)1 and Th2, but also CD4(+) CD25(high) FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (T-regs) are involved in immune response to Mycobacterium leprae. We aimed to evaluate serum interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-12p70 (macrophage cytokines), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (Th1 cytokine), IL-4 (Th2 cytokine) and circulating CD4(+) CD25(high) FoxP3(+) T-regs, in untreated leprosy patients. Forty three patients and 40 controls were assessed for the mentioned cytokines using ELISA. Patients were assessed for circulating T-regs using flow cytometry. Patients were subgrouped into tuberculoid (TT), pure neural leprosy (PNL), borderline cases, lepromatous (LL), type 1 reactional leprosy (RL1) and erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Serum IL-12p70, IFN-γ and IL-4 were significantly higher in patients versus controls (P