Abstract INTRODUCTION This study aimed to determine the number of macrophages and apoptotic cells and perform annexin-A1 detection in patients with leishmaniasis. METHODS Patients with Leishmania infection were admitted to Júlio Müller University Hospital. RESULTS The number of apoptotic cells was higher in the exudative granulomatous reaction. The exudative cellular reaction displayed higher levels of annexin-A1 detection in macrophages and apoptotic cells. The correlation between annexin-A1 detection in apoptotic cells and macrophages was observed in exudative necrotic reaction and exudative necrotic-granulomatous reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate the relevance of annexin-A1 in the regulation of apoptosis and phagocytosis in leishmaniasis.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Currently, there are no laboratory tests or sensitive and specific molecular markers for the early diagnosis of leprosy. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with leprosy and investigate their immunological profile, comparing this with the type of lesion and the presence or absence of a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination scar. METHODS: Statistical analyzes were performed by employing comparative tests (Pearson´s chi-square) to evaluate the variables in different clinical forms, considering significance at the 5% level. RESULTS: The study identified a predominance of lepromatous leprosy (26.9%) in patients aged between 34-53 years. Caucasians predominantly had borderline tuberculoid (BT) clinical forms (42%); a predominance of males with borderline lepromatous (19%) and lepromatous leprosy (26.9%) forms was observed; and the presence of BCG vaccination scars (27.5%) and lower limb nerves were more affected (38%) predominantly in the BT clinical form. Significant differences were identified, which included hypochromic lesions predominantly in the BT clinical form (24%); diffuse-type lesions predominantly in the tuberculoid (TT) clinical form (28%); ill-defined lesion border dominance in lepromatous leprosy (LL) clinical forms (30%); an irregular lesion limit predominantly in LL clinical forms (32%); and a predominant Th1 immune response in the BT clinical form (41.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the immunological profile in leprosy patients may contribute to the more detailed diagnosis and possibly better characterization of the prognosis for these individuals.

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION:The aim of this study was quantify annexin A1 expression in macrophages and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) + and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8)+ T cells from the skin of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (n=55) and correlate with histopathological aspects.METHODS:Infecting species were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and expression of annexin A1 was analyzed by immunofluorescence.RESULTS:All patients (n = 55) were infected with Leishmania braziliensis . Annexin A1 was expressed more abundantly in CD163 + macrophages in infected skin (p < 0.0001) than in uninfected skin. In addition, macrophages in necrotic exudative reaction lesions expressed annexin A1 at higher levels than those observed in granulomatous (p < 0.01) and cellular lesions p < 0.05). This difference might be due to the need to clear both parasites and necrotic tissue from necrotic lesions. CD4 + cells in cellular lesions expressed annexin A1 more abundantly than did those in necrotic (p < 0.05) and granulomatous lesions (p < 0.01). Expression in CD8 + T cells followed the same trend. These differences might be due to the pervasiveness of lymphohistiocytic and plasmacytic infiltrate in cellular lesions.CONCLUSIONS:Annexin A1 is differentially expressed in CD163 + macrophages and T cells depending on the histopathological features of Leishmania -infected skin, which might affect cell activation.

OBJECTIVE: Formaldehyde exposure during the menstrual cycle is known to affect the course of allergic lung inflammation. Because our previous data demonstrated that formaldehyde combined with an ovariectomy reduced allergic lung inflammation, we investigated the putative role of ovary removal and progesterone treatment when considering the effect of formaldehyde on allergic lung inflammation. METHOD: Ovariectomized rats and their matched controls were exposed to formaldehyde (1%, 3 days, 90 min/day) or vehicle, and immediately after exposure, the rats were sensitized to ovalbumin by a subcutaneous route. After 1 week, the rats received a booster by the same route, and after an additional week, the rats were challenged with ovalbumin (1%) by an aerosol route. The leukocyte numbers, interleukin-10 (IL-10) release, myeloperoxidase activity, vascular permeability, ex vivo tracheal reactivity to methacholine and mast cell degranulation were determined 24 h later. RESULTS: Our results showed that previous exposure to formaldehyde in allergic rats decreased lung cell recruitment, tracheal reactivity, myeloperoxidase activity, vascular permeability and mast cell degranulation while increasing IL-10 levels. Ovariectomy only caused an additional reduction in tracheal reactivity without changing the other parameters studied. Progesterone treatment reversed the effects of formaldehyde exposure on ex vivo tracheal reactivity, cell influx into the lungs and mast cell degranulation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study revealed that formaldehyde and ovariectomy downregulated allergic lung inflammation by IL-10 release and mast cell degranulation. Progesterone treatment increased eosinophil recruitment and mast cell degranulation, which in turn may be responsible for tracheal hyperreactivity and allergic lung inflammation.