Evaluation of the B lymphocytes role in leprosy pathogenesis.

• Grant number: 17/20910-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Favaro Trombone Garlet
• Grantee: Ana Paula Favaro Trombone Garlet
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade do Sagrado Coração (USC). Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Andrea de Faria Fernandes Belone ; Cléverson Teixeira Soares ; Patrícia Sammarco Rosa

Abstract

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease of the skin and peripheral nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae. This disease presents a broad spectrum of clinical forms and the immune response has a key role, with the influence of Th1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T cells in the disease immunopathogenesis. Recently, B cells have also been described as important immunoregulatory elements, since they can produce different classes of cytokines, allowing their subdivision into effector B cells and regulatory B cells. Preliminary results from our group showed that BKO knockout mice present a significant multiplication in the footpad when compared to wide type mice (WT), showing the importance of such cells in experimental leprosy. In addition, our group also demonstrated a significant increase in the B lymphocytes number in skin lesions of tuberculoid patients when compared to lepromatous. In this context, the present project aims to assess the role of B cells in experimental leprosy, comparing the patterns of cytokines expression related to the leprosy immunopathology (IFN-gamma, TNF-alfa, IL-4, IL-17, TGF-beta e IL-10) in BKO and WT mice. Additionally, we will perform the B lymphocytes phenotyping (PBMC) of tuberculoid and lepromatous patients, by flow cytometry, for evaluation of both IFN-gamma production by B cells (CD19+) and IL-10 and TGF-beta production by regulatory B cells (CD19, CD5, CD1dhight, CD21, CD24hight). (AU)