IL-10 IN HuMAN LEISHMANIASIS

Leishmaniasis is endemic in many tropical and subtropical countries. It is estimated that worldwide 400 million individuals are exposed to leishmania infection, with an annual incidence of 600,000 and a prevalence of 12 million.1 The disease is caused by protozoa of the genus leishmania (kinetoplastida: tripanosomatidae) that are transmited to humans by the bite of infected phlebotomine sand flies. With the exception of India, where man is the main target for leishmania infection, leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease and humans are only incidental hosts in the parasite’s life cycle. The clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis are variable and are related, in part, to the strain of the infecting agent, the environment and the host immunological response. Four different clinical forms of leishmaniasis are well characterized: cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucosal leishmaniasis, diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis.