TY - JOUR KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Complement Pathway, Alternative KW - Complement Pathway, Classical KW - Complement System Proteins KW - DNA, Bacterial KW - Female KW - Hemolysis KW - Humans KW - leprosy KW - Leprosy, Borderline KW - Leprosy, lepromatous KW - Leprosy, Tuberculoid KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis KW - Reference Values AU - Gomes G AU - Nahn EP AU - Santos RK R G AU - Da Silva WD AU - Kipnis TL AB -

Ninety-one patients with different clinical forms of leprosy, 36 lepromatous (LL), 33 tuberculoid (TL), and 22 dimorphic (DL), and 31 healthy volunteer donors were included in this study. Total complement system (CS) activity was assessed by hemolytic methods, whereas individual components were quantified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Under conditions allowing initiation of cascade by the classic pathway (CP) but not alternative pathway (AP) activation, significant CS consumption was detected only in sera from patients with LL. In this group of patients, C4 but not factor B (fB) or C3 was significantly reduced, whereas mannose-binding lectin (MBL) serum levels were significantly higher. These results indicate that the CP is involved in CS activation in patients infected with Mycobacterium leprae manifesting LL clinical form of leprosy. An association is likely between circulating immune complexes and MBL high serum levels for initiation of CS activation in patients with LL form of leprosy.

BT - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18385356?dopt=Abstract DA - 2008 Apr IS - 4 J2 - Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. LA - eng N2 -

Ninety-one patients with different clinical forms of leprosy, 36 lepromatous (LL), 33 tuberculoid (TL), and 22 dimorphic (DL), and 31 healthy volunteer donors were included in this study. Total complement system (CS) activity was assessed by hemolytic methods, whereas individual components were quantified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Under conditions allowing initiation of cascade by the classic pathway (CP) but not alternative pathway (AP) activation, significant CS consumption was detected only in sera from patients with LL. In this group of patients, C4 but not factor B (fB) or C3 was significantly reduced, whereas mannose-binding lectin (MBL) serum levels were significantly higher. These results indicate that the CP is involved in CS activation in patients infected with Mycobacterium leprae manifesting LL clinical form of leprosy. An association is likely between circulating immune complexes and MBL high serum levels for initiation of CS activation in patients with LL form of leprosy.

PY - 2008 SP - 605 EP - 10 T2 - The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene TI - The functional state of the complement system in leprosy. UR - http://www.ajtmh.org/content/78/4/605.full.pdf+html VL - 78 SN - 1476-1645 ER -