Cytokine profile in Leishmania-positive blood donors

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 23;15(9):e0238933. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238933. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Serum levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 17 (IL-17), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β), cytokines involved in the immune response, were investigated in 75 Leishmania-positive blood donors living in endemic areas. Based on their status in 2011 and 2015, the subjects were clustered into three groups: positive for at least one diagnostic method in both years, but lacking clinical progression to disease (G1); positive on at least one method in 2011 but negative in 2015 (G2); negative on all methods in both years (G3). Donors were interviewed for sociodemographic data collection and underwent clinical evaluation and laboratory tests. Serum cytokines were quantified using a CBA Flex set (BD Biosciences). Significant differences were found for all the cytokines evaluated, with lower concentrations in consistently Leishmania-negative individuals. The exception was IFN-γ, with similar levels among all donors. No changes consistent with active disease were observed in the laboratory results for Leishmania-positive donors who underwent clinical evaluation, none of whom progressed to disease. This suggests that infection control is associated with serum IL-17 levels. Resolution of Leishmania infection in positive donors may be related to high levels of IL-17 and low levels of IL-10, highlighting the role played by IL-17 in asymptomatic Leishmania-infected individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asymptomatic Diseases
  • Blood Donors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cytokines / blood*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-10 / blood
  • Interleukin-17 / blood
  • Leishmania / immunology*
  • Leishmaniasis / blood
  • Leishmaniasis / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Up-Regulation
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • IL10 protein, human
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-10

Grants and funding

Author who received award: MECD The work received financial support from the Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT/MS), https://www.fundect.ms.gov.br/ Termo de outorga: 114/2014; SIAFEM:023670; Processo: 23/200.262/2014. email:projetos@fundect.ms.gov.br Author who feceived award: IAT This study was conducted with support from the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul and financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES). https://ppgdip.ufms.br/ The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.