interleukin-8 and Leishmaniasis--Diffuse-Cutaneous

The abundance of macrophages in localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) lesions and differences in the composition of T cell subsets indicate involvement of cell-specific chemotaxis processes. The expression of macrophage chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha and -1 beta, RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), I-309, and interleukin-8 were investigated in lesions of patients with LCL or DCL. In LCL, high levels of MCP-1 and moderate levels of MIP-1 alpha were detected. In DCL, MCP-1 expression was significantly lower and MIP-1 alpha expression was predominant. All other chemokines investigated were minimally expressed or absent. These findings suggest that MCP-1 and MIP-alpha are responsible for the recruitment of macrophages and T cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis. The results show that self-healing LCL is associated with higher levels of MCP-1, which may stimulate macrophage microbicidal mechanisms, and nonhealing DCL is associated with higher levels of MIP-alpha.

Topics: Animals; Base Sequence; Chemokine CCL1; Chemokine CCL2; Chemokine CCL4; Chemokine CCL5; Chemokines; Chemokines, CC; Chemotaxis; Cytokines; DNA Primers; DNA, Protozoan; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; Interleukin-8; Leishmania mexicana; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmaniasis, Diffuse Cutaneous; Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; Macrophages; Molecular Sequence Data; Monokines; T-Lymphocytes