Relationship Between sCD163 and mCD163 and Their Implication in the Detection and Typing of Leprosy.

BACKGROUND

Leprosy is a chronic contagious disease caused by . CD163 is a monocyte trans-membrane glycoprotein receptor (mCD163) that sheds from the cell surface and circulates as a soluble (serum) form (sCD163). Changes in the mCD163 and sCD163 levels could mirror the categorization of inflammatory procedure, demonstrating a possible use of CD163 as a diagnostic indicator of inflammation.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the possible role of CD163 (sCD163 and mCD163) in leprosy pathogenesis and to assess whether CD163 is a helpful inflammatory marker of leprosy development and typing.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This case control study included 70 leprosy patients and 30 healthy controls. Leprosy patients were classified according to the Madrid criteria (1953) into: tuberculoid leprosy (TT), border-line leprosy (BL), and lepromatous leprosy (LL). For all participants, complete blood count (CBC), serum CD163 using ELISA and monocytes positive for CD163 using flow cytometry were done.

RESULTS

Leprosy patients had significantly low WBCs and platelet counts (p<0.001) and had significantly higher sCD163 (p=0.025) and mCD163 (p=0.042) that were highest in LL followed by BL, then TT patients (p<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between mCD163 and sCD163 levels in leprosy patients (r=0.896, p<0.001). ROC analysis revealed a significant role of serum sCD163 and of mCD163 positive monocytes in the detection (p<0.001) and typing of leprosy (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Both sCD163 and mCD163 positive monocytes may have an active role in leprosy pathogenesis. They could be potential biomarkers for leprosy detection and typing.