Liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in immunocompetent patients.

The leishmaniases are protozoan diseases caused by Leishmania parasites. The first-line treatment of its visceral forms is pentavalent antimony (meglumine antimoniate or sodium stibogluconate), but toxicity is frequent with this drug. Moreover antimony unresponsiveness is increasing in Leishmania infantum and L.

The CD14+CD16+ monocytes in erysipelas are expanded and show reduced cytokine production.

In human peripheral blood the classical CD14(++)DR(+) monocytes and the pro-inflammatory CD14(+)CD16(+)DR(++) monocytes can be distinguished. In erysipelas we found strongly increased numbers of CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes on the day of diagnosis (day 1) in 11 patients with an average of 150.5+/-76.

The proinflammatory CD14+CD16+DR++ monocytes are a major source of TNF.

In human blood two monocyte populations can be distinguished, i.e., the CD14(++)CD16(-)DR(+) classical monocytes and the CD14(+)CD16(+)DR(++) proinflammatory monocytes that account for only 10% of all monocytes.