DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF CHEMOKINES IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALIZED AND DIFFUSE CUTANEOUS AMERICAN LEISHMANIASIS

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-specif ic 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 sec reted), I-309, and interleukin-8 were investigated in lesions of patie nts 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 significant ly lower and MIP-1 alpha expression was predominant, All other chemoki nes investigated were minimally expressed or absent, These findings su ggest that MCP-1 and MIP-1 alpha are responsible for the recruitment o f macrophages and T cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis. The results show that self-healing LCL is associated with higher levels of MCP-1, whic h may stimulate macrophage microbicidal mechanisms, and nonhealing DCL is associated with higher levels of MIP-1 alpha.