01917nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042100001300054700001400067700001600081700001400097700001400111700002100125700001400146700001600160700001400176700001300190700001700203700001400220700001500234700001300249245013200262856012600394520110500520022001401625       2021                            d  c04/20211 aJunior G1 aKurizky P1 aCerqueira S1 aBarroso D1 aSchulte H1 ade Albuquerque C1 ade Gois E1 aEspindola L1 aSantana J1 aBastos I1 ade Araújo C1 ada Mota L1 aNóbrega O1 aGomes CM00aEnhanced IL-6 and IL-12B Gene Expression After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Leprosy Patients May Increase the Risk of Neural Damage.  uhttps://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/aop/article-10.4269-ajtmh.21-0034/article-10.4269-ajtmh.21-0034.xml?tab_body=pdf3 a<p>Experts have called attention to the possible negative impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related cytokine storm syndrome on the progression of leprosy-related disabilities. We assessed the frequency of reactional states in patients co-infected with Mycobacterium leprae and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We consecutively included patients during the first peak of the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil and analyzed the expressions of genes encoding interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12A, IL-12B, and tumor necrosis factor-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We included 64 leprosy patients and 50 controls. Twelve of the leprosy patients and 14 of the controls had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Co-infection was associated with increased IL-6 (P = 0.043) and IL-12B (P = 0.017) expression. The median disability grades were higher for leprosy/COVID-19 patients; however, the difference was not significant (P = 0.194). Patients co-infected with M. leprae and SARS-CoV-2 may experience a higher-grade proinflammatory state.</p>  a1476-1645