Expressão de receptores inibitórios nas células T durante a infecção por Leishmania braziliensis

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a term used to define a complex of clinically different diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniasis is classified as Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) and American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL), the latter including cutaneous and mucocutaneous clinical manife stations. Infectious processes that result in antigenic persistence or chronic inflammatory syndromes affect the effector functions of antigen-specific T cells, being characterized by high expression of inhibitory receptors such as: PD-1, TIM-3, CTLA-4, KLRG-1 and CD57. The aim was to evaluate the expression of PD-1, CTLA-4, KLRG-1, CD57 and TIM-3 receptors in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. We have shown higher frequencies of PD-1, CTLA-4, CD57, KLRG-1 and TIM-3 in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Simultaneously an increase in the production of IFN-γ, TNF-α and CRP was observed, which directly reflects the microbicidal capacity and inflammation profile of these patients. Our results amplify the knowledge of the characterization of the immune response during leishmaniasis.