Higher levels of IL-6 and IL-10 cytokines in visceral leishmaniasis-HIV co-infected patients from Brazilian high endemic area.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is an endemic disease in Latin America, and the clinical outcome worsens when a patient has HIV co-infection. In these patients, the immune response is complex and cytokines profile variable. We evaluate Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine profile in VL/HIV patients from Brazilian high endemic area. In this cross-sectional study, the serological cytokines production was compared with clinical and epidemiological traits of the VL/HIV, VL and HIV patients. VL/HIV patients are predominantly male (89.2 %) with relapses in 35.5 % of the cases. There is higher serum levels of IL-6 (p = 0.006) and IL-10 (p < 0.001) in VL/HIV patients. Furthermore, there is a moderate or strong positive correlation in the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α (Rho = 0.635, p < 0.001), IL-10 and IFN-γ (Rho = 0.523, p < 0.001), IL-6 and IL-10 (Rho = 0.506, p < 0.001), IL-2 and IL-4 (Rho = 0.506, p < 0.001). Then, VL/HIV patients who died during VL treatment (p = 0.033), patients with oedema (p = 0.011), and patients with jaundice (p = 0.019) had statistically high levels of IL-6. In conclusion, VL/HIV patients have production or reduction of specific cytokines, highlights IL-6 and IL-10.