Gene expression profile of cytokines produced in biopsies from patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis.

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) causes a local inflammatory process, inducing expression of several cytokine genes. Particularly, IFN-γ can predict to disease susceptibility. Based in these data, this study was aimed to investigate the gene expression profile of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-27, TNF-γ, TGF-β and IL-6 produced in biopsies from ACL patients; and whether the gene expression profile of IFN-γ could determine the disease evolution. Gene expression of 6 cytokines was investigated in 40 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) biopsies from patients with cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL); and 10 FFPE biopsies from patients with mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) (control). All 50 patients were infected with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Gene expression was determined by qPCR; and a normal control group was used for calculations (5 normal biopsies). Values were expressed as Relative Quantification (RQ). The 40 CL patients were classified into 2 groups. CLlowIFN-γ, 35 patients with RQ for IFN-γ below 100; and CLhighIFN-γ, 5 (12.5%) patients with RQ above 100. Significant increase of mRNA levels of IFN-γ, IL-10 and IL-27 was shown in CLhighIFN-γ group when compared with CLlowIFN-γ and ML groups. TNF-α levels in CLlowIFN-γ group were higher than CLhighIFN-γ and ML groups. TGF-β and IL-6 were similar in 3 groups. Comparison of cytokine expression/group showed that CLlowIFN-γ group had an equilibrium between the cytokines analyzed. In ML group, IFN-γ was over-expressed; but in CLhighIFN-γ group, besides IFN-γ, IL-27 was also over-expressed. The immune response to Leishmania induces to identification of some markers, which can be determined by analysis by gene expression of cytokines produced in biopsies.