02407nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001200054653000800066653003900074653001700113653001300130653002500143653002500168100001400193700001500207700002000222700001500242700001400257700001800271700001400289700001500303700001600318245014700334856006900481300000900550490000700559520150100566022001402067       2025                            d  bMDPI AG10aLeprosy10aHIV10aAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome10aCo-infection10aNeuritis10aNerve Growth Factors10aImmunohistochemistry1 aXavier MB1 aFontes LDS1 aNascimento MGBD1 aPassos SRD1 aXavier DP1 aAlcantara LDS1 aBrito EBD1 aGomes CMDC1 aCorbett CEP00aTissue Expression of NGF in Skin Lesions of HIV-Coinfected and Non-Coinfected Leprosy Patients and Its Relationship with Leprosy Neural Damage  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/10/2271/pdf?version=1758971920  a1-150 v133 a<p>Leprosy remains a significant public health issue, particularly due to its neuropathic consequences, which affect sensory, motor, and autonomic functions, leading to severe disabilities. HIV/AIDS, another major public health concern, overlaps geographically with leprosy and is also associated with peripheral neuropathies, complicating the management of co-infected patients. Understanding how Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is regulated in leprosy and HIV-leprosy co-infection may contribute to immunomodulatory treatments and neuroimmune response control. A cross-sectional study evaluated NGF tissue expression using immunohistochemistry in 47 HIV/leprosy co-infected patients and 61 leprosy-only patients. The co-infected group had a higher incidence of neuritis (40.4%) and a prevalence of exclusively reversal reactions. However, the occurrence of neuritis was not associated with higher expression of NGF in the tissue. Leprosy reactions were more prevalent in non-co-infected patients with multibacillary forms (50%). Multibacillary forms in both groups of patients showed higher cellular expression of NGF, with a greater tendency for higher NGF expression in non-co-infected multibacillary patients (p = 0.0021), suggesting impairment in the immune response involved in the tissue expression of neurotrophins in the co-infected group. Overall, co-infection with HIV did not influence the increase in NGF in the lesions of leprosy patients compared with patients with leprosy alone.</p>
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