IMMUNOREGULATORY AND PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE PRODUCTION IN VISCERAL AND CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are the m ajor parasitic diseases in which the immune system is implicated in pa thogenesis. The in vitro production of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and granulocyte-macrop hage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), spontaneously and in response to stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with anti-CD3, p hytohemagglutinin, and lipopolysaccharide, was investigated to determi ne their importance in VL and CL. Highly enhanced production of IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF alpha was seen in VL. However, enhanced production of IL-4 and TNF alpha but almost normal production of lL-6 and IL-8 w as seen in CL. The highly increased IL-4 production was the most chara cteristic and common feature of both VL and CL. Of interest, highly de ficient GM-CSF production may be implicated in abnormalities in synthe sis of hematopoietic lineage of cells in these diseases.