Korean J Dermatol.  2001 Jun;39(6):676-687.

Cytokine Expression and Cellular Phenotype in Skin Lesions of Borderline Lepromatous Leprosy during Multiple Drug Therapy

• Seo SL
• Choi HY
• Myung KB
• Sung SH
• Cho SN

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Distinct patterns of T cell cytokine production have been shown to influence the outcome of infection. There will be plethora of dynamic changes of T cells and their cytokine production after starting drug therapy in leprosy skin lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To determine dynamics of cytokine expression, T cell and macrophage populations in the lesions taken serially in early part of World Health Organization-Multiple Drug Therapy in BL patients.
METHODS
Cytokine mRNA expression of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-10 in BL skin lesion was detected by RT-PCR analysis. To determine cellular phenotypes of infiltrated cells, immunohistochemical staining method was performed using antibodies to CD4, CD8, CD56, CD57, CD 68, gammadelta-TCR , and S-100 protein.
RESULTS
TNF-alpha mRNA, initially showed no consistent change, increased 6 months after MDT. IFN-gamma and IL-10 mRNA showed decreasing tendency initially, but failed to show any consistent increase or decrease after 6 months. IL-4 mRNA was not detected in our patients. In reactional states, mRNA expression of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-10 was increased in 2 patients but decreased in 1 patient compared to baseline. Ratio of TNF-alpha positive cells decreased during MDT compared to baseline(p<0.05), but ratio of cells expressing IFN-gamma showed no significant change after MDT. Only CD68 positive cells decreased after MDT(p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Variable treatment induced changes in cellular patterns and cytokine expression within BL lesion observed in this study suggest that complex mechanism of immune systems - including cytokine regulation and defect in macrophages - may exist and be involved in the pathogenesis of leprosy.

Keyword

Cytokine; Cellular phenotype; MDT; Borderline lepromatous leprosy

MeSH Terms

Antibodies
Drug Therapy*
Humans
Immune System
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
Leprosy*
Leprosy, Multibacillary*
Macrophages
Phenotype*
RNA, Messenger
S100 Proteins
Skin*
T-Lymphocytes
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
World Health
World Health Organization
Antibodies
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
RNA, Messenger
S100 Proteins
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha