Abstract
Background: The disease leprosy is categorized by a wide spectrum of clinical forms imposed by the patient’s immune responses to the organism, Mycobacterium leprae. Soluble receptors and soluble mediators are important for regulation of immune responses. Objectives: As leprosy reactions are known immune inflammatory reactions during the disease process, the aim of the study was to screen nitrite, IL-6 cytokine and sTLR2 in sera samples to identify circulating biomarkers associated with leprosy and T1R and T2R among patients recruited from the Northern part of India. Methods: Leprosy patients recruited in our Institute were included in this study. We analysed the level of nitrite, soluble TLR2 and IL-6 in sera of leprosy patients, healthy controls and healthy household contacts by colorimetric assay and ELISA respectively. Results: The level of serum nitrite was observed to be higher in tuberculoid leprosy patients compared to lepromatous leprosy patients (p = 0.006). The level was also higher in healthy contacts of leprosy patients compared to lepromatous leprosy patients (p = 0.008). The sTLR2 level was significantly higher in healthy controls than leprosy patients (p = 0.002) and their healthy contacts (p = 0.001). The level of IL-6 in serum was significantly higher in leprosy patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Nitrite, IL-6 cytokine and sTLR2 are shown to be potential circulating biomarkers associated with leprosy among patients recruited in Northern India.
Highlights
Leprosy is a granulomatous disease caused by infection with the intracellular bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae that mainly affects skin and peripheral nerves.[1]
The level of IL-6 in serum was significantly higher in leprosy patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.001)
The level of serum sTLR2 was measured in 5 erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) patients and 20 non-reactional patients classified as either BL and LL
Summary
Leprosy is a granulomatous disease caused by infection with the intracellular bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae that mainly affects skin and peripheral nerves.[1]. Leprosy patients often experience inflammatory episodes known as reactions, which lead to rapid loss of sensation, nerve damage and deformity.[3] Type 1 or Reversal reaction (T1R) is known to occur in the borderline group of patients (i.e., BL, BB, and BT) while multibacillary patients (BL and LL), experience erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) or Type 2 reaction (T2R).[4] Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood were noted in reversal reactions which were lowered with corticosteroid treatment.[5,6] IL-6 has been shown to be a promising biomarker for both Type 1 reactions[7] and Type 2/ENL reactions.[89]. Higher levels of IL-6 in mast cells were noted to be associated with reversal reaction in leprosy.[10]
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