Transcriptomic and Immunopathological Profiles of Inflammasomes in Different Clinical Forms of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), caused by <i>Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis</i> and <i>L. (Viannia) braziliensis</i>, presents a wide spectrum of clinical and immunopathological manifestations, ranging from localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) to severe forms like anergic diffuse cutaneous (ADCL) and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). Despite evidence of the immune response's complexity, the role of inflammasomes in disease severity and parasite persistence remains unclear. We investigated the transcriptomic and immunopathological profiles of inflammasome components in patient lesions across the clinical spectrum. Genes such as <i>NLRP3</i>, <i>AIM2</i>, <i>NLRP12</i>, <i>NLRC4</i>, <i>CASP1</i>, <i>CASP5</i>, <i>GSDMD</i>, and <i>IL1B</i> and all evaluated proteins, showed higher expression in ACL compared to healthy controls. Distinct inflammasome activation patterns were observed: MCL, the hyperreactive form, showed elevated <i>NLRP3</i>, <i>AIM2</i>, and <i>IL-1β</i>, indicating an intensified inflammatory environment. ADCL, the hyporeactive form, displayed increased <i>NLRP12</i> and <i>NLRC4</i> expression with reduced <i>GSDMD</i>. Localized forms showed transitional profiles, highlighting ACL's multifactorial pathogenesis. These findings advance our understanding of inflammasome mechanisms in ACL, identifying potential therapeutic targets to modulate inflammation and improve management.
Authors
- Carlos Eduardo Pereira Corbett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1587-3085)
- Marliane Batista Campos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3802-8765)
- Ana Carolina Stocco de Lima (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6938-0641)
- Aurea Favero Ferreira
- Alessandra Pontillo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7883-0640)
- Helder I. Nakaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5297-9108)
- Sueli Mieko Oba‐Shinjo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1650-5973)
- Kamilla Batista da Silva Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0958-5215)
- Cristina Pires Camargo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3134-0003)
- Fernando Tobias Sílveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0412-6060)
- Cláudia Maria de Castro Gomes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9909-9466)
- Márcia Dalastra Laurenti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1080-2440)
- Luíz Carlos Júnior Alcântara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6769-9931)
- Vânia Lúcia Ribeiro da Matta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3509-6121)
Institutions
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (BR)
- Instituto Evandro Chagas (BR)
- Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Pará (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microorganisms
- Published
- 2025-04-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13050980
- Primary Topic
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Universidade Federal do Pará