AUTHOR=Pinheiro Roberta Olmo , Schmitz Veronica , Silva Bruno Jorge de Andrade , Dias André Alves , de Souza Beatriz Junqueira , de Mattos Barbosa Mayara Garcia , de Almeida Esquenazi Danuza , Pessolani Maria Cristina Vidal , Sarno Euzenir Nunes TITLE=Innate Immune Responses in Leprosy JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00518 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2018.00518 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Leprosy is an infectious disease that may present different clinical forms depending on host immune response to Mycobacterium leprae. Several studies have clarified the role of various T cell populations in leprosy; however, recent evidences suggest that local innate immune mechanisms are key determinants in driving the disease to its different clinical manifestations. Leprosy is an ideal model to study the immunoregulatory role of innate immune molecules and its interaction with nervous system, which can affect homeostasis and contribute to the development of inflammatory episodes during the course of the disease. Macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and keratinocytes are the major cell populations studied and the comprehension of the complex networking created by cytokine release, lipid and iron metabolism, as well as antimicrobial effector pathways might provide data that will help in the development of new strategies for leprosy management.