Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has proven to be an effective alternative for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Skin lesions consist of ulcers with well-defined raised edges, and granular floor. Th1 immune response is the protective profile in patients infected with Leishmania. In this study, the photodynamic therapy with 5-aminolevulinic acid, the parasitic load, and the modulation of the immune response was evaluated in mice infected with Leishmania braziliensis. Balb/c mice were infected with L. braziliensis and subsequently treated with three sections of PDT. The parasite load and mRNA expression of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17, IL-22, IL-27, IL-10) and transcription factors (GATA-3, Foxp3 and T-bet) were analysed by quantitative PCR. The parasite load in the treated group was significantly lower than in the untreated group (P<.0001); in PDT treated animals, we observed an increase in IFN-γ and T-bet mRNA (P=.012 and P=.0071). There was a significant reduction in mRNA expression of IL-22 associated with an increased expression of IL-27 mRNA in the animals treated with light only (P=.0001). 5-ALA associated with photodynamic therapy promotes a reduction in parasite load and an increased expression of IFN-γ and T-bet mRNA.
Keywords: 5-aminolevulinic acid; IFN-γ; T-bet; cytokines; leishmaniasis; photodynamic therapy.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.