@article{2090,
  keywords = {Adult, Cell Communication, Cells, Cultured, Erythema Nodosum, Female, Humans, leprosy, Lipopolysaccharide Receptors, Male, Middle Aged, Monocytes, Mycobacterium leprae, T-Lymphocytes, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha},
  author = {Sampaio E P and Oliveira R B and Warwick-Davies J and Neto R B and Griffin G E and Shattock R J},
  title = {T cell-monocyte contact enhances tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in response to Mycobacterium leprae.},
  abstract = {<p>Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been implicated as a key factor in inflammatory processes occurring in erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). In the present study, the roles of soluble factors and contact-mediated interaction in the induction of enhanced TNF-alpha secretion in leprosy have been investigated. In vitro studies have demonstrated that Mycobacterium leprae per se is a poor stimulus for TNF-alpha production by purified monocytes obtained from normal subjects, although this could be enhanced by either exogenous interferon-gamma or cell contact with fixed activated T lymphocytes. Further investigations demonstrated that monocyte-T cell contact enhanced M. leprae-induced TNF-alpha production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ENL patients and was modulated by blocking antibodies to CD40L, CD69, and CD18. These results suggest that physical contact with T cells isolated from patients in a particular disease state (ENL) modulates monocyte function and may contribute to the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines described in ENL.</p>},
  year = {2000},
  journal = {The Journal of infectious diseases},
  volume = {182},
  pages = {1463-72},
  month = {2000 Nov},
  issn = {0022-1899},
  doi = {10.1086/315902},
  language = {eng},
}