Distinct Pattern of Immunophenotypic Features of Innate and Adaptive Immunity as a Putative Signature of Clinical and Laboratorial Status of Patients with Localized Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

In this study, we have analysed the phenotypic features of innateadaptive immunity of patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), categorized according to their clinicallaboratorial status, including number of lesion (L1; L2-4), days of illness duration ( £60;>60) and positivity in the Montenegro skin test (MT ) ;MT + ). Our findings highlighted a range of phenotypic features observed in patients with LCL ( ›%HLA-DR + neutrophils; ›CD8 + HLA- DR + ¤ CD4 + HLA-DR + T cell ratio; ›HLA-DR in B lymphocytes, ›%CD23 + neutrophils, monocytes and B cells; ›a-Leishmania IgG and ›serum NO y + NO y ). Selective changes were observed in L1 ( ›%HLA-DR + neu- trophils, ›CD8 + HLA-DR + ¤ CD4 + HLA-DR + T cell ratio and ›serum NO y + NO y ) as compared to L2-4 ( ›%CD5 ) B cells; ›CD23 + B cells and ›a-Leishmania IgG). Whilst £60 presented a mixed profile of innateadaptive immunity (fl%CD28 + neutrophils and ›%CD4 + T cells), >60 showed a well-known leishmanicidal events ( ›CD8 + T cells; ›serum NO y + NO y and ›a-Leishmania IgG). MT + patients showed increased putative leishmanicidal capacity (›%HLA-DR + neutrophils; ›%CD23 + monocytes; ›CD8 + HLA- DR + ¤ CD4 + HLA-DR + T cell ratio and › serum NO y + NO y ). Overall, a range of immunological biomarkers illustrates the complex immunological network associated with distinct clinicallaboratorial features of LCL with applicability in clinical studies.