Evaluation of subtypes of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with vitiligo

Vitiligo is characterized with white patches on the skin and alteration of melanocytes in dermoepidermal junction. Autoimmune mechanisms with an underlying genetic predisposition are the most likely causes of vitiligo. This study was performed to evaluate immune disturbance in vitiligo and clarify its more details. A total of 29 vitiligo patients and 21 healthy controls were included in this case control study. Complete blood count was measured and peripheral blood samples were evaluated floweytometrically for surface antigenic markers including CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD16, CD56 and CD25 for determining the percentage and total number of various lymphocyte subgroups. Patients with different clinical subtypes were compared with each other and controls in terms of the flowcytometry results. Obtained information was assessed by SPSS statistical software. Total numbers of CD3+, CD8+ T cells, B cells and CD25+ cells were significantly increased in generalized type vitiligo patients in comparison with localized type. CD25+ cells were also increased significantly in generalized and stable types of vitiligo compared with healthy controls and finally the total number of lymphocytes was significantly decreased in localized type vitiligo patients in comparison with healthy controls.. Our data indicate cellular immune disturbance in vitiligo. Disorders of immune regulatory system may play a major role in this context. Significant CD25+ or regulatory T cells increment in different clinical subtypes of the disease is in favor of the above hypothesis. Later and larger studies may result in new and effective routs of treatment for vitiligo acting through regulating immune system

Serum IgE level in chronic lupoid leishmaniasis

It appears that chronic lupoid leishmaniasis is the result of type 2 predominant T helper response to parasite and a defect in the down regulation of IL-4 production during infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the underlying immune status in these patients and their predominant T helper activity we considered serum IgE as an indicator of TH2 activity and IL-4 production as it has been shown in atopic diathesis. In 34 cases of chronic lupoid leishmaniasis serum IgE level was measured and compared with 34 control cases of age and sex matched healthy individuals without atopic diathesis. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There were 21 females and 13 males with a mean age of 14.35 +/- 8.3 years in the patients group. The mean age of the control group was 16.11 +/- 8.4 [P>0.05 and matched]. Nine patients had atopic diathesis. Mean serum IgE level in patients and in the control group was 102.6 +/- 22.4 i.u/ml and 135.6 +/- 24.9 i.u/ml, respectively [P>0.05 with no significant difference]. Mean serum IgE level in patients without atopic diathesis [25 cases] was 66.8 +/- 113 i.u/ml which was significantly lower than the control group [P<0.05]. In this study, serum IgE level in cases with chronic lupoid leishmaniasis was lower than the control group and it seems that in these patients, there is not an underlying Th2 over activity as it is seen in atopic diathesis

[Evaluation of Th1 and Th2 cytokines secreted in the healing and nonhealing cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis, treated by glucantime]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Iran, the pentavalent antimonials, used for treating this disease; do not show effective enough in the recent years. The cellular immune response caused by T-helper type! [Th1] cuases protection against leishmaniasis and that of T-helper type2 [Th2] causes the progress of the disease. The aim of this study was evaluating secreted cytokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] in healing and nonhealing cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis treated by glucantime and control group to find a treatment policy for nonhealing patients. This descriptive study was conducted in 2006 on the subject of 60 cases of individuals, referred to Vila Clinic and Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad. This study was approved by the local committee of Medical Ethics. The cellular immune response in nonheahing and healing cutaneous leishmaniasis and control group evaluated by measuring the cytokine released by PBMCs when stimulated with Leishmania major antigens and mitogen for 48 h by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay [ELISA]. PBMCs of healing group secreted higher levels of interferon gamma [IFN-gamma] than the nonhealing patients [p<0.05], whereas the interleukin 4 [IL-4] levels were higher in the nonhealing group compared to the healing ones [p<0.005]. The results demonstrate that secretion of cytokines that activate Th2 response like IL-4 in nonhealing patients was higher than healing cases and secretion of cytokines which activate Th1 response such as IFN-gamma in the healing cases was higher than the nonhealing patients