Selected data showing PCR assays tested in nasal swabs or blood from healthy individuals and household contacts.

<p>*household contacts with multibacillary patients as index case (IC).</p

Selected results obtained by PCR assays tested in frozen and fresh skin biopsies from leprosy patients.

<p>Selected results obtained by PCR assays tested in frozen and fresh skin biopsies from leprosy patients.</p

Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with CLM (n = 91).

a<p>multiple classifications possible.</p>b<p>pustules, suppuration, abscess.</p>c<p>in case of multiple lesions, appearance of the oldest.</p

Correlation between the number of affected areas and impairment of skin disease-associated life quality (rho = 0.36; p = 0.004).

<p>Correlation between the number of affected areas and impairment of skin disease-associated life quality (rho = 0.36; p = 0.004).</p

Improvement of life quality after treatment with ivermectin.

a<p>≥2 points of the mDLQI.</p>b<p>only employed patients analyzed.</p

Correlation between severity of CLM and impairment of skin disease-associated life quality (rho = 0.76; p<0.001).

<p>Correlation between severity of CLM and impairment of skin disease-associated life quality (rho = 0.76; p<0.001).</p

Impairment of life quality in adult and child patients with CLM (n = 91).

a<p>only employed patients analyzed.</p>b<p>n = 87.</p>c<p>n = 7.</p

Categories of the modified Dermatology Life Quality Index.

<p>Categories of the modified Dermatology Life Quality Index.</p

Dermatology life quality impairment in patients with CLM (n = 91).

<p>Dermatology life quality impairment in patients with CLM (n = 91).</p

Polymorphisms in the <i>TOLLIP</i> Gene Influence Susceptibility to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by <i>Leishmania guyanensis</i> in the Amazonas State of Brazil

<div><p>Introduction</p><p>The clinical outcome to <i>Leishmania</i>-infection is determined by the individual adaptive immune T helper cell responses and their interactions with parasitized host cells. An early development of a proinflammatory immune response (Th1 response) is necessary for <i>Leishmania</i>-infection resolution. The Toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP) regulates human Toll-like receptors signaling pathways by down regulating the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and inducing the ant-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). Polymorphisms in the <i>TOLLIP</i> gene are associated with infectious diseases.</p><p>Material and Methods</p><p>The polymorphisms rs5743899 and rs3750920 in the <i>TOLLIP</i> gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in 631 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by <i>L</i>. <i>guyanensis</i> and 530 individuals with no history of leishmaniasis.</p><p>Results</p><p>The G and T alleles of the rs5743899 and rs3750920 were more common in patients with CL than in healthy individuals (P = 2.6 x10^-8 ; odds ratio [OR], 1.7 [ 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.0] and P = 1.9 x10^-8 ; OR, 1.6 [95% CI 1.4–1.9] respectively). The r² and D’ linkage disequilibrium between the two polymorphisms are 0.05 and 0.473 with a confidence bounds of 0.37 to 0.57 respectively.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The two polymorphisms are independently associated with an increased risk of developing CL.</p></div