CORRELATION BETWEEN HOST INFLAMMATORY MEDIATOR PROFILE AND LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPING MUCOSAL LEISHMANIASIS IN PERU

Eric Carlsen³, Diego A. Vargas-Inchaustegui¹, Diego Espinosa⁴, Gianfranco Tulliano², Rosa Pacheco⁵, Alejando Llanos-Cuentas⁴, Jorge Arevalo⁴, and Lynn Soong^1,2

¹Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, ²Pathology, and ³MD/PhD Program, UTMB; ⁴Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; ⁵Universidad Nacional San Antonia Abad, Cusco, Peru

Background: Experimental findings indicate that the parasite species involved in leishmaniasis infection can be an important consideration in patient prognosis. It is suspected that host factors such as variation in inflammatory mediator expression levels can also play a major role. Objective: This investigation examines the roles of inflammatory mediators in leishmaniasis and examines whether certain host single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with a conversion from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) to mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (ML). Methods: Serum samples were analyzed for levels of inflammatory mediators using a dot blot analysis. Protein levels that had notable differences between CL and ML cases were quantified by ELISA. A SNP in the promoter region of MCP-1 was also analyzed via RFLP analysis. Results: Serum analysis suggested that levels of IP-10, MIP-1B, and sTNFRII were significantly higher in ML patients than in CL patients or healthy controls. Analysis of the MCP-1 SNP suggests a correlation between the G/G genotype and developing mucosal lesions. Conclusions: Data suggest that there are several factors that play a major role in the conversion from CL to ML. The SNP analyzed in the promoter region of MCP-1 reveals a correlation between the G/G genotype and an increased risk of developing mucosal disease.

Supported by an NIAID grant to Dr. Soong and The James W. McLaughlin Fellowship Fund for Diego Vargas-Inchaustegui.