Kynurenines in the Pathogenesis of Peripheral Neuropathy During Leprosy and COVID-19.

Inflammatory disorders are associated with the activation of tryptophan (TRYP) catabolism via the kynurenine pathway (KP). Several reports have demonstrated the role of KP in the immunopathophysiology of both leprosy and coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). The nervous system can be affected in infections caused by both Mycobacterium leprae and SARS-CoV-2, but the mechanisms involved in the peripheral neural damage induced by these infectious agents are not fully understood. In recent years KP has received greater attention due the importance of kynurenine metabolites in infectious diseases, immune dysfunction and nervous system disorders. In this review, we discuss how modulation of the KP may aid in controlling the damage to peripheral nerves and the effects of KP activation on neural damage during leprosy or COVID-19 individually and we speculate its role during co-infection.

Importância do reconhecimento clínico da hanseníase / Importance of clinical recognition of hanseniase

Neste artigo é realizada uma discussão sobre a hanseníase, relevante doença infecciosa no mundo, com importância marcante nas áreas tropicais. Procurou-se enfatizar os aspectos clínicos e imunopatogênicos, como forma de se proporcionar um melhor panorama do estado atual do problema