摘要 : Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is characterized by high production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and development of pathology. Individuals with subclinical <i>L. braziliensis</i> infection (SC) have a positive skin test to leishmani... 展开 Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is characterized by high production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and development of pathology. Individuals with subclinical <i>L. braziliensis</i> infection (SC) have a positive skin test to leishmania, but do not develop disease. We evaluated whether the downregulation of inflammatory response in SC is mediated by IL-10 and IL-27 and whether IL-17 is associated with control of infection. Participants include SC individuals, patients with CL and healthy subjects. Cytokines protein and mRNA were detected by ELISA and real-time PCR. IFN- gamma and TNF- alpha levels were higher in CL than in SC group. The IL-10 levels and mRNA for IL-10 were similar in both SC and CL. mRNA for IL-27 was increased in cells from SC after stimulation with <i>L. braziliensis</i> antigen. There was a tendency for increased levels of IL-17 in SC compared to CL. The weak type 1 immune response observed in SC <i>L. braziliensis</i> infection is not because of the regulatory effects of IL-10 and IL-27. The control of <i>Leishmania</i> infection may be mediated by innate immune response with participation of IL-17. The results from this pilot study warrant further larger studies to investigate the potential contributions of IL-17 and IL-27 to the control of <i>L. braziliensis</i> infection. 收起