02233nas a2200517   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653002400065653002800089653001400117653001800131653001100149653002300160653002300183653001100206653002000217653001200237653002400249653002500273653002400298653001600322653000900338653001600347653002500363653003100388653002800419653001400447653001700461100001700478700001400495700001800509700001400527700001400541700001400555700001600569700001500585700001400600700001700614700001600631245009000647300001000737490000800747520094600755022001401701       2006                            d  c2006 Jun10aAdult10aAntigens, Bacterial10aCell Adhesion Molecules10aCell Line10aCulture Media10aFemale10aHIV Seronegativity10aHIV Seropositivity10aHumans10aLectins, C-Type10aleprosy10aLeprosy, Borderline10aLeprosy, Tuberculoid10aLipopolysaccharides10aMacrophages10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aMycobacterium tuberculosis10aReceptors, Cell Surface10aTh2 Cells10aTransfection1 aSoilleux E J1 aSarno E N1 aHernandez M O1 aMoseley E1 aHorsley J1 aLopes U G1 aGoddard M J1 aVowler S L1 aColeman N1 aShattock R J1 aSampaio E P00aDC-SIGN association with the Th2 environment of lepromatous lesions: cause or effect?  a182-90 v2093 a<p>The clinical spectrum of leprosy is related to patients' immune responses. Non-responsiveness towards Mycobacterium leprae (ML) seems to correlate with a Th2 cytokine profile. The reason for such a polarized immune response remains unclear. The C-type lectin, DC-SIGN, expressed by subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, has previously been associated with Th2 responses. Here we show abundant DC-SIGN expression in lepromatous but not borderline tuberculoid leprosy, in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Moreover, we demonstrate that DC-SIGN can act as an entry receptor for ML, as it does for M. tuberculosis, through the cell wall component lipoarabinomannan. DC-SIGN is expressed on virtually all ML-containing cells, providing further evidence for its role as a receptor. DC-SIGN may therefore be induced on macrophages in lepromatous leprosy and may then contribute to mycobacterial entry into these cells.</p>  a0022-3417