02893nas a2200457   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001500059653001000074653000900084653002200093653002500115653001600140653001400156653001100170653001100181653002100192653001900213653001800232653001800250653001200268653001600280653000900296653001600305653002500321653001600346100001400362700001500376700001400391700001700405700001400422700001400436700001100450245009100461856007100552300000900623490000700632050001500639520176700654022001402421       2013                            d  c2013 Jan-Feb10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aCase-Control Studies10aCoinfection10aCytokines10aFemale10aHumans10aInterferon-gamma10aInterleukin-1010aInterleukin-210aInterleukin-410aleprosy10aLymphocytes10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aPeriodontal Diseases10aYoung Adult1 aMotta ACF1 aSimão JCL1 aFurini RB1 aFerreira MAN1 aPalma PVB1 aKomesu MC1 aFoss N00aOral coinfection can stress peripheral lymphocyte to inflammatory activity in leprosy.  uhttp://www.scielo.br/pdf/rsbmt/v46n1/0037-8682-rsbmt-46-01-073.pdf  a73-80 v46  aMOTTA 20133 a<p><b>INTRODUCTION: </b>This study evaluated the intracellular profile of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from leprosy patients based on oral infections presence to determine whether these coinfections could be associated with pro-inflammatory activity in leprosy.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>Leprosy patients regardless of clinical form and specific leprosy treatment (n=38) were divided into two groups: Group I - leprosy patients with oral infections (n=19), and Group II - leprosy patients without oral infections (n=19). Non-leprosy patients presenting oral infections were assigned to the control Group (n=10). Intracellular IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ production was evaluated by flow cytometry (FACS) before and 7 days after controlling the oral infection in the Group I, before and 7 days after dental prophylaxis in the Group II, and during oral infection process in control Group.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Low percentages of CD3+ lymphocytes bearing IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were observed in the Group I and Group II at baseline and 7 days after therapy or prophylaxis compared to controls. Group I showed reduced percentages of IL-4 at baseline and 7 days after therapy compared to controls, or at baseline of Group II, and the Group II showed reduced percentages of CD3+ cells bearing IL-4 compared to control. An increase of the percentages of CD3+cells bearing IL-4 was observed in the Group I after the oral infections treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>The occurrence of oral infections favors the intracellular cytokines expression and, probably, the inflammatory reaction operating as a stimulatory signal triggering the leprosy reactions.</p>  a1678-9849