The Journal of Infectious Diseases · 2019 · 50 citations · 36 references
Life SciencesImmunologyInfectious DiseasesImmunopathologyInflammationInnate ImmunityHost-parasite Immune InteractionsImmunopathology Of Parasitic DiseaseInnate Immune Responses To ParasitesNatural Killer Cell BiologyNatural Killer Cell FunctionParasitic Disease PathogenesisCd8 Positive T CellsImmunopathology Of LeishmaniasisLeishmaniasis Of The SkinLeishmaniasis PathogenesisLeishmaniasis PathologyNatural Killer Cell CytotoxicityT Cell CytotoxicityT Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity
BACKGROUND: Skin lesions from patients infected with Leishmania braziliensis has been associated with inflammation induced by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. In addition, CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity has not been linked to parasite killing. Meanwhile, the cytotoxic role played by natural killer (NK) cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains poorly understood. METHODS: In this study, we observed higher frequencies of NK cells in the peripheral blood of CL patients compared with healthy subjects, and that NK cells expressed more interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), granzyme B, and perforin than CD8+ T cells. RESULTS: We also found that most of the cytotoxic activity in CL lesions was triggered by NK cells, and that the high levels of granzyme B produced in CL lesions was associated with larger lesion size. Furthermore, an in vitro blockade of granzyme B was observed to decrease TNF production. CONCCLUSIONS: Our data, taken together, suggest an important role by NK cells in inducing inflammation in CL, thereby contributing to disease immunopathology.
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Tanya M. Scharton, Phillip Scott · The Journal of Experimental Medicine · 1993 · 608 citations · Full text