Barral-Netto M, Barral A, Brownell C E, Skeiky Y A, Ellingsworth L R, Twardzik D R, Reed S G
Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Brazil.
Science. 1992 Jul 24;257(5069):545-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1636092.
The course of infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania is determined in part by their early replication in macrophages, the exclusive host cells for these organisms. Although factors contributing to the survival of Leishmania are not well understood, cytokines influence the course of infection. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a multipotential cytokine with diverse effects on cells of the immune system, including down-regulation of certain macrophage functions. Leishmanial infection induced the production of active TGF-beta, both in vitro and in vivo. TGF-beta was important for determining in vivo susceptibility to experimental leishmanial infection.
原生动物寄生虫利什曼原虫的感染过程部分取决于其在巨噬细胞（这些生物体唯一的宿主细胞）中的早期复制。尽管有助于利什曼原虫存活的因素尚未完全明确，但细胞因子会影响感染过程。转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）是一种多潜能细胞因子，对免疫系统细胞有多种作用，包括下调某些巨噬细胞功能。利什曼原虫感染在体外和体内均可诱导活性TGF-β的产生。TGF-β对于确定体内对实验性利什曼原虫感染的易感性很重要。
