Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the connection of innate and adaptive
immunity of hosts to mycobacterial infection. Studies on the interaction of
monocyte-derived DCs (MO-DCs) using Mycobacterium leprae in leprosy
patients are rare. The present study demonstrated that the differentiation of MOs to
DCs was similar in all forms of leprosy compared to normal healthy individuals. In
vitro stimulation of immature MO-DCs with sonicated M. leprae
induced variable degrees of DC maturation as determined by the increased expression
of HLA-DR, CD40, CD80 and CD86, but not CD83, in all studied groups. The production
of different cytokines by the MO-DCs appeared similar in all of the studied groups
under similar conditions. However, the production of interleukin (IL)-12p70 by MO-DCs
from lepromatous (LL) leprosy patients after in vitro stimulation with M.
leprae was lower than tuberculoid leprosy patients and healthy
individuals, even after CD40 ligation with CD40 ligand-transfected cells. The present
cumulative findings suggest that the MO-DCs of LL patients are generally a weak
producer of IL-12p70 despite the moderate activating properties ofM.
leprae. These results may explain the poor M.
leprae-specific cell-mediated immunity in the LL type of leprosy.
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