Multiplex analysis of circulating cytokines in the sera of patients with different clinical forms of visceral leishmaniasis

BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a chronic intracellular parasitic disease, ranges from a subclinical, asymptomatic infection to severe clinical disease (kala-azar). In experimental leishmaniasis, mice that have a Th1 response to infection tend to have limited disease while a Th2 response is associated with disease progression. Humans with VL most often have mixed rather than polarized responses. However, most clinical studies have used methods that require a relatively large sample volume, thus limiting their scope. Measuring multiple cytokine levels in blood samples using a multiplexed microsphere assay (MMA) may be useful to further evaluate the Th1/Th2 paradigm in humans. METHODS: Bangladeshi individuals (n=120) living in an area endemic for VL were categorized into one of the five…