1.The dichotomy of the systemic and local cytokine responses of mucosal leishmaniasis patients in Sudan: A pilot study
Abdelhaleem, A.A. ; Elamin, E.M. ; Elhassan, A.M. ; Nail, A.M. ; Abdullah, N.E. ; Mukhtar, M.M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2020;37(No.4):877-883
Sudanese mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is a rare clinical form of leishmaniasis and
characterized by persistent ulcer of the oral and/or the nasal mucous membranes caused by
Leishmania donovani. No data is available about the systemic and local immune responses
in mucosal leishmaniasis. This study aimed to measure the systemic and the local cytokines
responses of Sudanese ML patients compared to cured cutaneous leishmaniasis patients
(Leishmanin skin test positive, LST+ve) and unexposed healthy controls (Leishmanin skin
test negative, LST-ve). Six parasitological confirmed ML patients, 7 LST+ve, and 6 LST-ve
were enrolled. Systemic Th-1 (IFN-γ and TNF-α), Th-2 (IL-10 and IL-13), Treg (TGF-β1), and
inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 concentration were measured in the supernatant of
whole blood samples following stimulation with live L. donovani promastigotes using ELISA.
Local intralesion IL-10, IFN-γ, and IL-13 expression was measured using Real Time PCR. A
significant high concentrations of IFN-γ, TNFα, IL-10, TGFβ, IL-6, and IL-8 were detected in
the supernatant of stimulated whole blood samples of ML patients compared with the LST+ve
and LST-ve controls. Using Real Time-PCR and primers for various cytokines, a significant
high expression of TH2 cytokines IL-10 and IL-13 mRNA was detected in contrast to a low
TH1 cytokine IFN-γ mRNA in the mucosal lesion. There is a clear dichotomy in the cytokine
response during Mucosal leishmaniasis. A significantly high TH1, inflammatory and Treg
cytokines response is produced systemically, in contrast to a significant high TH2 cytokines
response in the mucosal lesion.