Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Vol. 91(2) , Mar./Apr. 1996

Tumor Necrosis Factor-a in Human American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis

Alda Maria Da-Cruz, Márcia Pereira de Oliveira, Paula Mello De Luca,
Sergio CF Mendonça, Sergio G Coutinho

Laboratório Imunidade Celular e Humoral, Departamento de Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) is a cytokine produced by activated macrophages and other cells. In order to verify whether the serum levels of TNF-a in American tegumentary leishmaniasis patients are associated with the process of cure or aggravation of the disease, 41 patients were studied: 26 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and 15 of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). During active disease the serum levels of TNF-a of MCL patients were significantly higher than those of CL patients and control subjects (healthy individuals and cutaneous lesions from other etiologies). The MCL patients had serum titers of TNF-a significantly lower at the end of antimonial therapy than before therapy. After a six-month follow-up, the MCL patients had serum levels of TNF-a similar to those observed at the end of the therapy as well as to those of CL patients and control subjects. No significant variation in the serum levels of TNF-a was observed in CL patients throughout the study period (before, at the end of therapy and after a six-month follow-up). The possible relationship between the high TNF-a serum levels and severity of the disease is discussed.

Key words: TNF-a - cytokine - tegumentary leishmaniasis - Leishmania braziliensis

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