by Torres A, Younis BM, Alamin M, Tesema S, Bernardo L, Solana JC, Moreno J, Mustafa A-a, Alves F, Mudawi Musa A, Carrillo E. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 2024. doi: 10.1007/s44197-024-00270-0
Summary: Little is known about the cellular immune response for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). The authors of this manuscript report changes in the cellular immune response of participants in a phase II clinical trial of two treatments for patients with PKDL in Sudan. The Th1/Th2/Th17 response seen with paromomycin + miltefosine was associated with a higher cure rate (98.2%) than the Th1/Th2 response seen with liposomal amphotericin B + miltefosine (80%). Patients with low IFN-γ, TNF and IL-1β before treatment were more likely to relapse if treated with liposomal amphotericin B + miltefosine than with paromomycin + miltefosine. Determining IFN-γ, TNF and IL-10 levels prior to treatment could help predict which patients might be at higher risk of poor treatment response.