@article{e00b6cf0a03c11dd86a6000ea68e967b,
title = "Leishmania-specific T cells expressing interferon-¿(IFN-¿) and IL-10 upon activation are expanded in individuals cured of visceral leishmaniasis",
abstract = "Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients who have recovered from visceral leishmaniasis often respond to Leishmania antigens in vitro by production of both IL-4, IFN-gamma and IL-10. In order to establish the cellular sources of these cytokines, we activated cells from individuals with a history of visceral leishmaniasis with Leishmania antigen for 6 days in culture, and identified cytokine production at the single-cell level by flow cytometry. The cytokines were only found in CD3+ cells and among these mainly within the CD4+ subset. The percentage of cytokine-producing cells was compared in Leishmania-activated PBMC cultures from the previous patients and from individuals living in a village where leishmaniasis does not occur. The percentage of IL-10- and IFN-gamma-containing cells was significantly higher in the previous patients than in the controls, indicating that Leishmania-specific T cells producing IL-10 and/or IFN-gamma had been expanded as a result of the infection. The cytokine-producing cells in the previous patients could be divided into three types: (i) cells producing IFN-gamma only; (ii) cells producing IL-4 only; and (iii) cells producing IFN-gamma and IL-10 simultaneously. The first and second group of cells can be described as Th1- and Th2-type cells, respectively. The third group could be a regulatory subset of T cells important for maintaining a balance between Th1- and Th2-type cells in these individuals.",
author = "K Kemp and M Kemp and A Kharazmi and A Ismail and Kurtzhals, {J A} and L Hviid and Theander, {T G}",
note = "Keywords: Animals; Humans; Interferon Type II; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-4; Leishmania donovani; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; T-Lymphocytes; Th1 Cells; Th2 Cells",
year = "1999",
language = "English",
volume = "116",
pages = "500--4",
journal = "Clinical and Experimental Immunology",
issn = "0009-9104",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "3",
}