Ruiz J H, Becker I
Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, Mexico.
Parasite Immunol. 2007 Dec;29(12):671-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2007.00991.x.
CD8 T cells are essential in the defence against viruses, yet little is known of their participation in the host defence against parasites, such as Leishmania, which can cause a variety of clinical diseases, such as localized cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Murine models of leishmaniasis suggest that CD8 T cells participate through IFN-gamma production, yet their cytotoxic capacity also plays an important role, as has been found in patients infected with various Leishmania strains, where CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis of autologous Leishmania-infected macrophages correlate with cure. Yet the mechanisms underlying the CD8 T activation in patients with leishmaniasis remain an enigma. It is possible that dendritic cells activate CD8 T cells through mechanisms that include antigen cross-presentation. Here we summarize the recent findings of CD8 T cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis and discuss their significance in the control of the disease. Further knowledge in this field will undoubtedly improve the design of therapeutic and vaccine strategies.
CD8 T细胞在抵御病毒方面至关重要，但对于它们参与宿主抵御寄生虫（如利什曼原虫，可导致多种临床疾病，如局部皮肤型、弥漫性皮肤型、黏膜皮肤型和内脏利什曼病）的情况却知之甚少。利什曼病的小鼠模型表明，CD8 T细胞通过产生γ干扰素参与其中，然而它们的细胞毒性能力也起着重要作用，正如在感染各种利什曼原虫菌株的患者中所发现的那样，CD8 T细胞的细胞毒性以及自体利什曼原虫感染巨噬细胞的凋亡与治愈相关。然而，利什曼病患者中CD8 T细胞激活的潜在机制仍然是个谜。树突状细胞有可能通过包括抗原交叉呈递在内的机制激活CD8 T细胞。在此，我们总结了皮肤利什曼病中CD8 T细胞的最新研究发现，并讨论了它们在疾病控制中的意义。该领域的进一步了解无疑将改善治疗和疫苗策略的设计。
