02073nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001700055653001400072653002000086653001100106653002500117653002100142653001800163653002100181653001200202653000900214653003200223100001400255700001300269700001300282245010600295300001100401490000800412520134900420022001401769       1990                            d  c1990 Oct10aAntigens, CD10aCytokines10aFrozen Sections10aHumans10aImmunohistochemistry10aInterferon-gamma10aInterleukin-110aLangerhans Cells10aleprosy10aSkin10aTumor Necrosis Factor-alpha1 aArnoldi J1 aGerdes J1 aFlad H D00aImmunohistologic assessment of cytokine production of infiltrating cells in various forms of leprosy.  a749-530 v1373 a<p>The aim of this study was to determine cytokines in human leprosy lesions by means of immunohistologic examination. Cryostat sections of skin biopsies from 57 patients with various forms of leprosy were immunostained according to the APAAP method, using monoclonal antibodies against interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and, in addition, against CD 1 antigen. Granulomas in biopsies of untreated patients with tuberculoid leprosy showed large amounts of cells positive for IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and CD 1, whereas no positive signals could be detected in untreated patients with lepromatous leprosy. However, in those biopsies obtained from lepromatous leprosy patients undergoing chemotherapy, positive staining for cytokines as well as subepidermal Langerhans cells increased to a detectable amount. Remarkably, in tuberculoid leprosy patients, the number of IL-1 beta--positive cells did not vary under therapy, while the number of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma reactive cells decreased. These results suggest that immunohistologic determination of cytokines in combination with the assessment of subepidermal Langerhans cells in human leprosy lesions may be used as a parameter for the patient's status of cell-mediated immunity under chemotherapeutic treatment.</p>  a0002-9440