Estudo fenotípico das subpopulações de linfócitosT e monócitos, estimulados ou não com antígeno solúvel de Leishmania, empacientes com Leishmaniose Visceral pré e pós-tratamento específico

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease which affects about 12 million people worldwide. Similar to other infectious diseases, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) clinical spectrum and infection control are biased by host-parasite relationship, since the asymptomatic up to the most severe ones. Visceral leishmaniasis presents a complex immune response with corregulation among inflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines. Previous researches have shown an increase in INFgamma and IL-10 serum cytokines when compared with healthy controls. Thus, this study evaluated in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and monocytes, with or without soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) stimulus, before and after VL treatment into eight VL patients by flow cytometry. In order to better understand the role of cell subpopulations, we evaluated experienced/memory molecules expression, coestimulation, cytotoxicity and pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines production. The results showed: (i) increase in INF-gamma producing T CD4+ cells in patients before treatment, after SLA stimulus; (ii) decrease in INF-gamma and IL-17producing T CD4+ cells, after VL treatment; (iii) increase in CD45RO expressing T CD8+ cells and decrease in IFN-gamma producing T CD8+ cells, both SLAinduced, from VL patients after specific treatment; (iv) decrease in CD45RO, granzime A, INF-gamma and TNF-alpha producing T CD8+ cells when compared before and after VL treatment; (v) and a positive correlation between TNF-alpha and IL-10 producing CD 14+ monocytes. While these results do not clarify the whole immune mechanism related with visceral leishmaniasis, the determination ofdistinct functions of lymphocytes and monocytes subpopulations in the peripheral blood may be relevant to new researches, treatment and vaccines.