IL-12 ENHANCES TH1-TYPE RESPONSES IN HUMAN LEISHMANIA-DONOVANI INFECTIONS

IL-12 is a pluripotent cytokine that interacts with NK and T cells to play a central role in the initiation and maintenance of Th1 responses and IFN-gamma production. Because of the interactive relationship bet ween IL-12 and IFN-gamma response to infectious organisms, a study was undertaken to examine the role of IL-12 in the immune regulation of h uman visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Human (Hu) VL is associated with imm une dysfunction and the appearance of IL-10 mRNA, not present in heale d individuals. We found that PBMC from treated VL patients produced bo th IL-12 p40 and IFN-gamma in response to in vitro stimulation with Le ishmania donovani. The production of both IL-12 p40 and IFN-gamma were interdependent and were abrogated by the addition of exogenous Hu rIL -10. In contrast, PBMC from active VL patients did not produce IL-12 p 40 or IFN-gamma in response to L. donovani lysate. Neutralizing anti-I L-10 mAb led to the enhancement of IFN-gamma production by active VL P BMC cultured with L. donovani lysate, and this enhanced IFN-gamma prod uction was blocked by anti-IL-12 mAb. The addition of exogenous Hu rIL -12 to PBMC from active VL patients resulted in the augmentation of IF N-gamma in response to L. donovani lysate. Therefore, treatment of act ive VL patient PBMC with anti-IL-10 or IL-12 shifted the response towa rd a Th1-type response with the production of IFN-gamma These results indicate that IL-12 may play an important role in the regulation of th e cellular immune responses in Hu VL.