Plasma levels of interlukin-4 and Interferon-γ in patients with chronic or healed cutaneous leishmaniasis

Objective(s): In this study, the serum level of interferon-γ (IFN- γ) and interlukin-4 (IL-4) was evaluated as a marker of Th1 and Th2 immune response that influence the clinical course of cutaneous leishmaniasis . Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 44 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (21 cases with healed lesions and 23 cases with chronic non-healing lesions. Thirty-two non-infected persons living in the area were considered as controls. Serum levels of IFN- γ and IL-4 were determined using ELISA, and the results along with clinical data were analyzed using SPSS 11.5. Results: Serum IFN-γ level was not significantly different between various patient groups and control (P=0.27), but the serum level of IL-4 in patient groups was higher than in healthy subjects, and it was higher in patients with non-healed chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis than those with healed lesions (P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum IL-4 level is a good marker for evaluation of the clinical course of cutaneous leishmaniasis.