Expansion of gammadelta T Cells in patients infected with cutaneous leishmaniasis with and without glucantime therapy.

The expansion of gammadelta T cells in patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis, with or without glucantime therapy, was investigated. Twenty patients with local cutaneous leishmaniasis including glucantime-treated (n=10) and untreated (n=10) patients were selected. The controls were healthy individuals (n=10) living in endemic areas. Whole blood was obtained and the T cell subpopulations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Significantly more gammadelta CD(3)(+) T cells were observed in untreated patients (15.9% +/-5.9), when compared with glucantime-treated patients (4.6% +/-1.4) and controls (5.3% +/-2.3). On the other hand, when the percentages of alphabeta CD(3)(+) T-cells were analyzed different results were obtained. A significant increase in alphabeta T cells was seen in glucantime-treated patients (62.4% +/-7.6), when compared to the untreated patients (55.7% +/-5.5) and controls (55.1% +/-9.6). The percentage of total CD(3)(+) T cells was statistically greater in both glucantime-treated (68.8% +/-7.4) and untreated patients (73.4% +/-5.9) when compared to the controls (61% +/-10.3). These results are consistent with previous results on the expansion of gammadelta T cells during the course of cutaneous leishmaniasis. They also indicate that glucantime therapy can reverse the expansion of gammadelta T cells and as a result increase the percentages of alphabeta ab CD(3)(+) T cells.