Serum IL-1ra is elevated in lepromatous leprosy patients

Patterns of production of specific cytokines are accepted as standards for T-lymphocyte subsets in diseases caused by intracellular parasites. These lymphocyte subsets (Th1 and Th2) have been associated with the different poles of the leprosy spectrum. Lepromatous leprosy (LL) onset correlates with cytokines produced by Th2 cells on the grounds of the patient's poor cellular immune response, i.e., interleukin 2 (IL-2) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) deficiency. On the other hand, tuberculoid leprosy (TL) has been associated with a Th1 response. Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) play a major role in chronic inflammatory pathologies being IL-1ra and TNF-alpha soluble receptors, natural counterbalancing inhibitors. In light of this background, we decided to measure serum levels of IL-1 beta, IL-1ra, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in LL and TL patients, and we also studied the production in vitro of Th1 (IFN-gamma, IL-2), Th2 (IL-4, IL-10) and TNF-alpha cytokines. Our data showed that IL-1ra is highly elevated in sera from LL patients; there were no differences in Th2 cytokine levels and there were diminished levels in Th1 cytokines.

Valoración baciloscópica en pacientes con enfermedad de Hansen, tratados con el esquema de la OMS / Bacilloscopic study of patients with Hansen's disease, treated with the scheme of WHO

Se estudiaron 30 pacientes con enfermedad de Hansen multibacilar (BL o LL) que terminaron el tratamiento controlado según el esquema de la OMS. Se valoraron las baciloscopias de cada paciente en sus índices bacteriológico, morfológico y tintorial durante el inicio, primer año y segundo a lo del tratamiento. Al final del tratamiento 40 por ciento de los pacientes (12) negativizó su índice bacteriológico, el resto de ellos permaneció positivo, por lo que sugerimos que los pacientes con Hansen multibacilar prolonguen por más tiempo el esquema de tratamiento que ha implantado la OMS, para evitar futuras recaídas

Peroxidase deficiency in histiocytes of patients with nodular lepromatous leprosy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of peroxidase (PO) in the histiocytes which are found in the lepromatous lesions of patients with nodular lepromatous leprosy (NLL). We studied dermoepidermal biopsy specimens from lepromstous lesions and blood smears of 10 patients with NLL, eight males and twoo females 28 to 63 years age (average 45 + or - 6.2), of which nine coursed with the stable form of the disease and one was in lepromatous reaction. Six had received treatment with diaminodiphenylsulphone for more than six months, and the other four, none. As controls we studied the blood smears of 10 healthy controls and 10 rat liver sections. PO was investigated in histiocytes, Kupffer cells and polymorphonuclears by dichlorhydrate oxydation, according to the technique of Kaplow. By means of Fite-Faraco´s stain, all ten cases proved to have abundant phagocytized M. leprae. PO was not found in histiocytes of lepromatous lesions in nine cases of stable NLL in lepromatous reaction. PO was present in Kupffer cells, in polymorphonuclears of patients with NLL and in controls. No difference was found either in the PO or M. leprae contents between treated and untreated patients. The PO deficiency in histiocytes of patients with NLL may be related to an incapacity of these cells to destroy M. leprae.