02424nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001700054653001200071653002500083653001400108653001700122100002600139700001300165700001400178700001500192700001500207700001300222700001100235700001200246700001200258700001500270700001400285245011700299300001100416520168100427022001402108       2020                            d  c07/202010aCathelicidin10aleprosy10aLeprosy drug therapy10aM. leprae10aVitamin D(3)1 aGrossi de Oliveira AL1 aChaves A1 aCardoso M1 aPinheiro G1 ade Jesus A1 aGrossi M1 aLyon S1 aBueno L1 aRocha M1 aFujiwara R1 aMenezes C00aHypovitaminosis D and reduced cathelicidin are strongly correlated during the multidrug therapy against leprosy.  a1043733 a<p>Mycobacterium leprae infection depends on the competence of the host immune defense to induce effective protection against this intracellular pathogen. The present study investigated the serum levels of vitamin D and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, to determine the statistical correlation between them in leprosy patients before and post-six months of multidrug therapy (MDT), household contacts, and healthy individuals. Previous studies associated these molecules with high risks to develop mycobacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis and leprosy. A total of 34 leprosy patients [paucibacillary (n = 14), multibacillary (n = 20)], and 25 household contacts were recruited. Eighteen healthy adults were selected as a control group. Serum concentrations of vitamin D (25(OH)VD) and cathelicidin were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, respectively. There were no significant differences in serum levels of 25(OH)VD between all groups, and the overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 67.1%. Cathelicidin levels were significantly lower in both untreated and treated patients when compared to controls and household contacts (p < 0.05). Strong correlations between hypovitaminosis D and reduced cathelicidin in untreated (r = 0.86) and post-six months of MDT (r = 0.79) leprosy patients were observed. These results suggest that vitamin D status and cathelicidin levels are strongly correlated during multidrug therapy for leprosy and nutritional supplementation from the beginning of treatment could strengthen the immune response against leprosy.</p>  a1096-1208