BACKGROUND Dendritic cells (DCs) specific intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-3-grabbing non integrin receptor (DC-SIGN) binds to subgenera Leishmania promastigotes mediating its interaction with DC and neutrophils, potentially influencing the infection outcome. OBJECTIVES In this work, we investigated whether DC-SIGN receptor is expressed in cells from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions as well as the in vitro binding pattern of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (Lb) and L. (L.) amazonensis (La) promastigotes. METHODS DC-SIGN receptor was labeled by immunohistochemistry in cryopreserved CL tissue fragments. In vitro binding assay with CFSE-labeled Lb or La promastigotes and RAJI-transfecting cells expressing DC-SIGN (DC-SIGNPOS) or mock-transfected (DC-SIGNNEG) were monitored by flow cytometry at 2 h, 24 h and 48 h in co-culture. RESULTS In CL lesion infiltrate, DC-SIGNPOS cells were present in the dermis and near the epidermis. Both Lb and La bind to DC-SIGNPOS cells, while binding to DC-SIGNNEG was low. La showed precocious and higher affinity to DC-SIGNhi population than to DC-SIGNlow, while Lb binding was similar in these populations. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that DC-SIGN receptor is present in L. braziliensis CL lesions and interact with Lb promastigotes. Moreover, the differences in the binding pattern to Lb and La suggest DC-SIGN can influence in a difference way the intake of the parasites at the first hours after Leishmania infection. These results raise the hypothesis that DC-SIGN receptor could participate in the immunopathogenesis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis accounting for the differences in the outcome of the Leishmania spp. infection. DCs (DCs ICAM3grabbing ICAMgrabbing ICAM 3 grabbing DCSIGN SIGN (DC-SIGN neutrophils work (CL Viannia (Viannia (Lb L (L. (La fragments CFSElabeled CFSE RAJItransfecting RAJI transfecting DCSIGNPOS SIGNPOS (DC-SIGNPOS mocktransfected mock transfected DCSIGNNEG SIGNNEG (DC-SIGNNEG 4 coculture. coculture co culture. culture co-culture infiltrate epidermis low DCSIGNhi SIGNhi DCSIGNlow, DCSIGNlow SIGNlow, SIGNlow DC-SIGNlow populations Moreover spp (L

Células inflamatórias presentes em lesões Virchowianas humanas foram isoladas do tecido por um processo de digestão enzimática. Elas foram mantidas em cultura por cerca de 5 dias e suas características morfológicas citoquímicas efuncionaisforam descritas.

In the present study, inflammatory cells from human lepromatous lesions were isolated by enzymatic dissociation of tissue. They were maintained in culture up to five days and their morphologic, cythochemicaland functional characteristics were described.

A separação, caracterização e ensaio funcional das células inflamatórias presentes no local de lesão têm se tornado imperiosos no estudo de diversas doenças. Através da utilização de métodos histoquímicos para esterase e fosfatase ácida, bem como do Teste de Fagocitose e da coloração pelo Giemsa, realizados nas células esplénicas de dez camundongos, foi possível se caracterizar bem os componentes do Sistema Fagocítico Mononuclear e distinguir os outros tipos de células presentes, além de permitir a quantificação diferencial das mesmas.

The separation, characterization and functional assay of the inflammatory infiltrate present in the site of the lesion has been useful in the study of many diseases. Histochemical techniques for esterase and acid phosphatase, as well as the Phagocytose test and the Giemsa staining were applied to the study of the spleen-cell population of ten mice. A good characterization of the components of the Phagocytic Mononuclear System and the identification and quantification of the total cell population were obtained.