Dual Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I in American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis.

Background: Cytokines and growth factors involved in the tissue inflammatory process influence the outcome of infection. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) constitutively present in the skin may participate in the inflammatory process and parasite-host interaction. Previous work has shown that preincubation of () with recombinant IGF-I induces accelerated lesion development.