Th1/Th2 cytokine profile in patients coinfected with HIV and Leishmania in Brazil.

To evaluate the effects of HIV on immune responses in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), we quantified cytokine levels from plasma and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from individuals infected with HIV and/or CL. Gamma interferon (IFN- ) and interleukin 13 (IL-13) levels and the ratio of IFN- to IL-10 produced in response to stimulation with soluble Leishmania antigens were significantly lower in HIV-Leishmania-coinfected patients than in CL-monoinfected patients