RESUMO
Leprosy is a contagious, chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The immune response of the host to this bacillus is variable, determining different clinical forms of the same disease. Between the Lepromatous and Tuberculoid spectra, both stable clinical forms, the Dimorfo type can be presented, with great immunological instability, determining clinical characteristics, according to the pole to which most approaches. Leproatous dimorphic leprosy is characterized by brwn and violet macules, large number of lesions and less definition at its edges, variable sizes and alteration of sensitivity. Conjugal leprosy occurs in very few cases, knowing that intimate contaqct for a long time is an important factor, but has also demonstrated the fundamental role of immunity and genetics to acquire and develop the disease. We present two cases of lepromatous dimorphic leprosy in spouses, with 20 years of cohabitation, in which the same clinical presentation was found. Ths is an infrequent fact, given the low infectivity of the pathogen and the multiple varieties that could occur.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Hanseníase Virchowiana/imunologia , Transmissão de Doença Infecciosa/prevenção & controle , Eritema Nodoso/diagnóstico , Eritema Nodoso/terapia , Hanseníase Multibacilar/terapiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) is a rare, but potentially life-threatening reaction to dapsone. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of immunological factors involved in the sparing of borderline-lepromatous (BL) leprosy patches by the severe exanthema related to DHS. METHODS: The authors describe a 19-year-old man with borderline-lepromatous leprosy with a recent diffuse rash, sparing only the hypochromic patches of leprosy, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and jaundice 25 days after the start of multibacillary multidrug therapy. RESULTS: Laboratory testing was remarkable for leukocytosis with eosinophilia, atypical lymphocytosis, and elevated liver and canalicular enzymes. Immunohistopathology of the rash showed stronger expression of Th1 cytokines (IL1ß, TNFα, IFNγ, and iNOS), and limited expression of IL17, TGFb, IL4, and IL10. Whereas the hypochromic leprosy patches showed high expression of inflammatory cytokines IL1ß, TNFα, IFNγ, iNOS, and TGFß (Th1), and presented strong expression of IL17 and TGFß with no IL4 and IL10 expression, by the inflammatory infiltrate, characterizing a participation of Th17 response. CONCLUSION: Th17 response, coupled with the presence of subepidermal collagen band, seems to be directly related to the absence of DHS rash in these hypochromic leprosy patches.
Assuntos
Dapsona/efeitos adversos , Síndrome de Hipersensibilidade a Medicamentos/imunologia , Hansenostáticos/efeitos adversos , Hanseníase Dimorfa/tratamento farmacológico , Células Th17/imunologia , Síndrome de Hipersensibilidade a Medicamentos/etiologia , Humanos , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Masculino , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Erythroderma is characterized by erythema and scaling affecting more than 90% of the body surface area. Inflammatory, neoplastic and, more rarely, infectious diseases may culminate with erythroderma. Diagnosis of the underlying disorder is therefore crucial to institute the appropriate therapy. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that is endemic in Brazil. Here we present an unusual case of leprosy and reversal reaction causing erythroderma, and we discuss the underlying immunological mechanisms which could contribute to the generalized skin inflammation. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a patient with reversal reaction (RR) in borderline borderline leprosy presenting with erythroderma and neural disabilities. Histopathology of the skin showed regular acanthosis and spongiosis in the epidermis and, in the dermis, compact epithelioid granulomas as well as grouped and isolated bacilli. This duality probably reflects the transition from an anergic/multibacillary state to a state of more effective immunity and bacillary control, typical of RR. Leprosy was successfully treated with WHO's multidrug therapy, plus prednisone for controlling the RR; the erythroderma resolved in parallel with this treatment. Immunologic studies showed in situ predominance of IFNγ + over IL-4+ lymphocytes and of IL-17+ over Foxp3+ lymphocytes, suggesting an exacerbated Th-1/Th-17 immunoreactivity and poor Th-2 and regulatory T-cell responses. Circulating Tregs were also diminished. We hypothesize that the flare-up of anti-mycobacteria immunoreactivity that underlies RR may have triggered the intense inflammatory skin lesions that culminated with erythroderma. CONCLUSIONS: This case report highlights the importance of thorough clinical examination of erythrodermic patients in search for its etiology and suggests that an intense and probably uncontrolled leprosy RR can culminate in the development of erythroderma.
Assuntos
Dermatite Esfoliativa/etiologia , Hanseníase Dimorfa/complicações , Pele/patologia , Anti-Inflamatórios/uso terapêutico , Biópsia , Dermatite Esfoliativa/tratamento farmacológico , Dermatite Esfoliativa/patologia , Quimioterapia Combinada , Humanos , Interferon gama/metabolismo , Hansenostáticos/uso terapêutico , Hanseníase Dimorfa/tratamento farmacológico , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Linfócitos/metabolismo , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prednisolona/uso terapêutico , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologiaRESUMO
Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) is an immune reaction in leprosy that aggravates the patient´s clinical condition. ENL presents systemic symptoms of an acute infectious syndrome with high leukocytosis and intense malaise clinically similar to sepsis. The treatment of ENL patients requires immunosuppression and thus needs to be early and efficient to prevent both disabilities and permanent nerve damage. Some patients experience multiple episodes of ENL and prolonged use of immunosuppressive drugs may lead to serious adverse effects. Thalidomide treatment is extremely effective at ameliorating ENL symptoms. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the efficacy of thalidomide in ENL, including the inhibition of TNF production. Given its teratogenicity, thalidomide is prohibitive for women of childbearing age. A rational search for molecular targets during ENL episodes is essential to better understand the disease mechanisms involved, which may also lead to the discovery of new drugs and diagnostic tests. Previous studies have demonstrated that IFN-γ and GM-CSF, involved in the induction of CD64 expression, increase during ENL. The aim of the present study was to investigate CD64 expression during ENL and whether thalidomide treatment modulated its expression. Leprosy patients were allocated to one of five groups: (1) Lepromatous leprosy, (2) Borderline leprosy, (3) Reversal reaction, (4) ENL, and (5) ENL 7 days after thalidomide treatment. The present study demonstrated that CD64 mRNA and protein were expressed in ENL lesions and that thalidomide treatment reduced CD64 expression and neutrophil infiltrates-a hallmark of ENL. We also showed that ENL blood neutrophils exclusively expressed CD64 on the cell surface and that thalidomide diminished overall expression. Patient classification based on clinical symptoms found that severe ENL presented high levels of neutrophil CD64. Collectively, these data revealed that ENL neutrophils express CD64, presumably contributing to the immunopathogenesis of the disease.
Assuntos
Eritema Nodoso/imunologia , Hansenostáticos/uso terapêutico , Neutrófilos/efeitos dos fármacos , Neutrófilos/imunologia , Receptores de IgG/genética , Talidomida/uso terapêutico , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Biópsia , Eritema Nodoso/diagnóstico , Eritema Nodoso/tratamento farmacológico , Eritema Nodoso/microbiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Hanseníase Dimorfa/tratamento farmacológico , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Hanseníase Dimorfa/microbiologia , Hanseníase Virchowiana/tratamento farmacológico , Hanseníase Virchowiana/imunologia , Hanseníase Virchowiana/microbiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Receptores de IgG/imunologia , Pele/microbiologia , Pele/patologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles influence the host immune response against Mycobacterium leprae. However, the association between HLA alleles and borderline (B) leprosy has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine whether HLA class I and II molecules are associated with susceptibility or resistance to B leprosy including borderline-tuberculoid (BT), borderline-borderline (BB), and borderline-lepromatous (BL). METHODS: DNA was obtained by the salting-out technique from the blood samples of 202 patients with B leprosy and 478 control subjects. HLA class I (A*, B*, and C* loci) and class II (DRB1* and DQB1* loci) genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification and reverse hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes and sequence-specific primers. RESULTS: The case-controlled analysis results showed a significant association between B leprosy and HLA-C*05 (5.94% vs. 14.02%; p = 0.002, OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.20-0.73, pc = 0.032) and HLA-DRB1*07 (16.34% vs. 26.77%; p = 0.003, OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8, pc = 0.039). A protective association was observed between BL leprosy and HLA-DQB1*02 (18.18% vs. 39.53%; p = 0.005, OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.15-0.75, pc = 0.025). In reactional patients, a significant association was observed between HLA-B*15 (28.72% vs. 12.76%; p = 0.011, OR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.30-5.85, pc = 0.352) and predisposition to reversal reaction. Haplotype analysis showed that A*02-B*07-C*07-DRB1*15-DQB1*06 (2.97% vs. 1.04%; p = 0.015) and A*02-B*40-C*03-DRB1*13-DQB1*06 (1.73% vs. 0.10%; p = 0.0011) were associated with susceptibility to the B form. The presence of the HLA-DRB1*02 or HLA-DRB1*03/HLA-DQB1*01 haplotypes in B patients (22.05% vs. 33.0%; p = 0.005) suggested the involvement of these haplotypes in this clinical form of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the involvement of HLA class I and class II molecules in B leprosy and reversal reactions; it also suggest a role for HLA in polarization of the disease in this group of patients.
Assuntos
Predisposição Genética para Doença , Antígenos HLA-DQ/genética , Antígenos HLA-DR/genética , Hanseníase Dimorfa/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Alelos , Brasil , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Genótipo , Humanos , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mycobacterium leprae/imunologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles influence the host immune response against Mycobacterium leprae. However, the association between HLA alleles and borderline (B) leprosy has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine whether HLA class I and II molecules are associated with susceptibility or resistance to B leprosy including borderline-tuberculoid (BT), borderline-borderline (BB), and borderline-lepromatous (BL). METHODS: DNA was obtained by the salting-out technique from the blood samples of 202 patients with B leprosy and 478 control subjects. HLA class I (A*, B*, and C* loci) and class II (DRB1* and DQB1* loci) genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification and reverse hybridization with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes and sequence-specific primers. RESULTS: The case-controlled analysis results showed a significant association between B leprosy and HLA-C*05 (5.94% vs. 14.02%; p = 0.002, OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.20-0.73, pc = 0.032) and HLA-DRB1*07 (16.34% vs. 26.77%; p = 0.003, OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8, pc = 0.039). A protective association was observed between BL leprosy and HLA-DQB1*02 (18.18% vs. 39.53%; p = 0.005, OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.15-0.75, pc = 0.025). In reactional patients, a significant association was observed between HLA-B*15 (28.72% vs. 12.76%; p = 0.011, OR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.30-5.85, pc = 0.352) and predisposition to reversal reaction. Haplotype analysis showed that A*02-B*07-C*07-DRB1*15-DQB1*06 (2.97% vs. 1.04%; p = 0.015) and A*02-B*40-C*03-DRB1*13-DQB1*06 (1.73% vs. 0.10%; p = 0.0011) were associated with susceptibility to the B form. The presence of the HLA-DRB1*02 or HLA-DRB1*03/HLA-DQB1*01 haplotypes in B patients (22.05% vs. 33.0%; p = 0.005) suggested the involvement of these haplotypes in this clinical form of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the involvement of HLA class I and class II molecules in B leprosy and reversal reactions; it also suggest a role for HLA in polarization of the disease in this group of patients.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Criança , Adolescente , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Adulto Jovem , Brasil , Hanseníase Dimorfa/genética , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Antígenos HLA-DQ/genética , Antígenos HLA-DR/genética , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Alelos , Frequência do Gene , Genótipo , Mycobacterium leprae/imunologiaRESUMO
Visando contribuir para o melhor entendimento da participação das citocinas na hanseníase dimorfa, o presente estudo investigou a produção desses mediadores in vitro e in situ em pacientes dimorfos-tuberculóides (HDT) e dimorfos-virchovianos(HDV). Foram avaliados 7 pacientes HDT e 12 HDV, virgens de tratamento, além de 19 indivíduos sádios (grupo controle). Culturas de células mononucleares do sangue periférico (PBMC) foram estimuladas ou não com estímulos inespecíficos e específicos do M. Leprae (antígeno inteiro e sonicado) e após 48 horas o sobrenadante foi recolhido para dosagens das citocinas TNF-a, IFN-y, IL-10 e TGF-B1. Biópsias das lesões cutâneas foram submetidas aos procedimentos histológicos por meio da coloração com hematoxilina-Eosina e Faraco-Fite; os cortes foram submetidos, ainda, à detecção in situ de iNOS, IL-10 e TGF-B1 por imunoistoquímica. A quantificação de citocinas em sobrenadante de PBMC revelou que pacientes HDT produziram níveis menores de TGF-B1 e pacientes HDV, níveis menores de IL-10...
Assuntos
Humanos , Citocinas/biossíntese , Citocinas/imunologia , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Hanseníase Dimorfa/patologia , Técnicas de Cultura de Células/métodos , /biossíntese , /imunologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To verify the validity of measuring the levels of Mycobacterium leprae-specific anti-phenolic glycolipid (PGL)-I antibody, neopterin, a product of activated macrophages, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, in serial serum samples from patients for monitoring the leprosy spectrum and reactions during the course of multi-drug treatment (MDT). METHODS: Twenty-five untreated leprosy patients, 15 multi-bacillary (MB) and 10 paucibacillary (PB), participated. Eight patients developed reversal reaction and five developed erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) during follow-up. The bacterial index (BI) in slit-skin smears was determined at diagnosis and blood samples collected by venipuncture at diagnosis and after 2, 4, 6 and 12 months of MDT. PGL-I antibody and neopterin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas the CRP levels were measured by the latex agglutination method. RESULTS: The levels of PGL-I antibodies and neopterin were higher in the sera of MB than PB patients, which correlated with the patients' BI. The serum levels of CRP did not differ significantly between the MB and PB patients. The serum levels of PGL-I and neopterin were no higher in reactional patients than non-reactional patients prone to such reactions. However, ENL patients had higher serum CRP levels than non-reactional MB patients. The serum PGL-I antibody levels declined significantly during MDT, in contrast to neopterin and CRP levels. CONCLUSION: Measuring the serum levels of PGL-I antibodies and neopterin appeared to be useful in distinguishing MB from PB patients, whereas monitoring the levels of PGL-I antibodies appeared to be useful in monitoring MB patients on MDT. Measuring serum CRP, although not useful in monitoring the patients, has limited significance in detecting ENL reactional patients.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Proteína C-Reativa/metabolismo , Glicolipídeos/imunologia , Hanseníase Dimorfa/sangue , Hanseníase Tuberculoide/sangue , Neopterina/sangue , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Hansenostáticos/efeitos adversos , Hansenostáticos/uso terapêutico , Hanseníase Dimorfa/tratamento farmacológico , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Hanseníase Tuberculoide/tratamento farmacológico , Hanseníase Tuberculoide/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Leprosy is characterized by a disease spectrum having two polar clinical forms dependent on the presence or not of cell-mediated immunity. In the tuberculoid forms, granuloma-activated macrophages kill Mycobacterium leprae in conjunction with a Th1 response while, in multibacillary (MB) lesions, M. leprae nonactivated macrophages infiltrate the nerves and internal organs together with a Th2 response. The functional properties and activation pathways of macrophages isolated from patients with MB leprosy remain only partially understood. OBJECTIVES: To establish an ex vivo methodology capable of evaluating the activation pathways, grade and fate of cultured macrophages isolated from MB lesions. METHODS: Skin biopsies from patients with borderline tuberculoid, bordeline lepromatous and lepromatous leprosy (LL) were characterized by immunohistochemistry and transcriptional analysis. To isolate inflammatory cells, a portion of the samples was submitted to enzymatic digestion. These same cells, maintained in culture for a minimum 7-day period, were characterized morphologically and via flow cytometry at different culture time points. Cytokine [interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-10] mRNA levels were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and protein secretion in the culture supernatants was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the nitric oxide levels by Griess reagent. RESULTS: RNA expression in tuberculoid and MB lesions showed the profile expected of characteristic Th1 and Th2 responses, respectively. The inflammatory cells in all biopsies were successfully isolated. Although the number of cells varied between biopsies, it was highest in LL biopsies. The frequency of isolated CD14+ and CD3+ cells measured by flow cytometry correlated with the percentages of macrophages and lymphocytes in the lesions. Throughout the culture period, CD68+ macrophages showed morphological changes. A progressive increase in cell number and reduction of infected cells were perceptible in the cultures. In contrast to the biopsies, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-10 expression in the tuberculoid and MB leprosy cells in 24-h culture and the cytokine levels in the supernatants did not differ significantly. During the culture period, cytokine expression in the MB cells progressively declined, whereas, from days 1 to 7, nitrite levels progressively increased. After day 40, the remaining macrophages were able to ingest fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled M. leprae. These data need to be confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed the feasibility of obtaining ex vivo macrophages from leprosy lesions and keeping them in long-term culture. This procedure may open new pathways to studying the interaction between M. leprae and human macrophages, which might, in turn, lead to the development of therapeutic tools capable of overcoming the specific anergy found in patients with MB leprosy.
Assuntos
Hanseníase/imunologia , Macrófagos/imunologia , Mycobacterium leprae/fisiologia , Pele/imunologia , Adulto , Idoso , Contagem de Células , Células Cultivadas , Citocinas/biossíntese , Citocinas/genética , Estudos de Viabilidade , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Hanseníase Dimorfa/imunologia , Hanseníase Virchowiana/imunologia , Hanseníase Tuberculoide/imunologia , Macrófagos/parasitologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Biológicos , Nitritos/metabolismo , Fagocitose/imunologia , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Pele/parasitologiaRESUMO
Objective: To verify the validity of measuring the levels of Mycobacterium leprae‐specific anti‐phenolic glycolipid (PGL)‐I antibody, neopterin, a product of activated macrophages, and C‐reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, in serial serum samples from patients for monitoring the leprosy spectrum and reactions during the course of multi‐drug treatment (MDT).Methods: Twenty‐five untreated leprosy patients, 15 multi‐bacillary (MB) and 10 paucibacillary (PB), participated. Eight patients developed reversal reaction and five developed erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) during follow‐up. The bacterial index (BI) in slit‐skin smears was determined at diagnosis and blood samples collected by venipuncture at diagnosis and after 2, 4, 6 and 12 months of MDT. PGL‐I antibody and neopterin were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, whereas the CRP levels were measured by the latex agglutination method. Results: The levels of PGL‐I antibodies and neopterin were higher in the sera of MB than PB patients, which correlated with the patients BI. The serum levels of CRP did not differ significantly between the MB and PB patients. The serum levels of PGL‐I and neopterin were no higher in reactional patients than non‐reactional patients prone to such reactions. However, ENL patients had higher serum CRP levels than non‐reactional MB patients. The serum PGL‐I antibody levels declined significantly during MDT, in contrast to neopterin and CRP levels. Conclusion: Measuring the serum levels of PGL‐I antibodies and neopterin appeared to be useful in distinguishing MB from PB patients, whereas monitoring the levels of PGL‐I antibodies appeared to be useful in monitoring MB patients on MDT. Measuring serum CRP, although not useful in monitoring the patients, has limited significance in detecting ENL reactional patients