Distinct Pattern of Immunophenotypic Features of Innate and Adaptive Immunity as a Putative Signature of Clinical and Laboratorial Status of Patients with Localized Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

In this study, we have analysed the phenotypic features of innate/adaptive immunity of patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL), categorized according to their clinical/laboratorial status, including number of lesion (L1; L2–4), days of illness duration (≤60;>60) and positivity in the Montenegro skin test (MT−;MT+). Our findings highlighted a range of phenotypic features observed in patients with LCL (↑%HLA‐DR+ neutrophils; ↑CD8+ HLA‐DR+/CD4+ HLA‐DR+ T cell ratio; ↑HLA‐DR in B lymphocytes, ↑%CD23+ neutrophils, monocytes and B cells; ↑α‐Leishmania IgG and ↑serum + ). Selective changes were observed in L1 (↑%HLA‐DR+ neutrophils, ↑CD8+ HLA‐DR+/CD4+ HLA‐DR+ T cell ratio and ↑serum + ) as compared to L2–4 (↑%CD5− B cells; ↑CD23+ B cells and ↑α‐Leishmania IgG). Whilst ≤60 presented a mixed profile of innate/adaptive immunity (↓%CD28+ neutrophils and ↑%CD4+ T cells), >60 showed a well‐known leishmanicidal events (↑CD8+ T cells; ↑serum + and ↑α‐Leishmania IgG). MT+ patients showed increased putative leishmanicidal capacity (↑%HLA‐DR+ neutrophils; ↑%CD23+ monocytes; ↑CD8+ HLA‐DR+/CD4+ HLA‐DR+ T cell ratio and ↑ serum + ). Overall, a range of immunological biomarkers illustrates the complex immunological network associated with distinct clinical/laboratorial features of LCL with applicability in clinical studies.