THE EFFECT OF TREATING WITH ANTI-INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ANTIBODY ON THE COURSE OF EXPERIMENTAL MURINE CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS

To assess the role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in cutaneous leishmaniasis, Leishmania major-infected mice were treated with an anti-IL-1 recepto r monoclonal antibody, LA-15.6. MoAb LA-15.6 prevents binding of IL-1 to bath the T cell and B cell/macrophage forms of the IL-1 receptor. W e found that treating with LA 15.6 inhibited the development of cutane ous lesions of L. major in both genetically-susceptible and resistant mice. Interestingly, this treatment had little or no effect on parasit e numbers in the lesions or on the cytokines (interferon-gamma, interl eukin-4) that the animals produced in response to infection with the p arasite. These results suggest that although IL-1 plays a detrimental role in cutaneous leishmaniasis, it does not mediate this effect by al tering the parasite-specific T cell response.