Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-11-18
pubmed:abstractText
The immunomodulatory drug thalidomide is the treatment of choice for erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), an inflammatory cutaneous and systemic complication of multibacillary leprosy. To elucidate the mechanism of action of thalidomide in this syndrome, we prospectively investigated 20 patients with ENL who were treated with thalidomide for 21 days. All patients responded to treatment, with the majority of them having complete resolution of cutaneous lesions within 7 days. This response was associated with a marked but transient increase in ex vivo mitogen-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon- gamma by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells that was observed on treatment day 7, but these returned to pretreatment levels by day 21. Plasma tumor necrosis factor- alpha levels were not high at baseline, and they increased modestly during treatment. Plasma levels of IL-12 increased steadily during thalidomide treatment. Hence, the therapeutic effect of thalidomide in ENL appears to be associated with transient immune stimulation, which suggests that the drug may promote an active immunoregulatory response.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0022-1899
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
15
pubmed:volume
192
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2045-53
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Cytokines, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Erythema Nodosum, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Flow Cytometry, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Gene Expression, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Immunologic Factors, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Interferon-gamma, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Leprostatic Agents, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Leprosy, Lepromatous, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Male, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Prospective Studies, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-RNA, Messenger, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Skin, pubmed-meshheading:16288366-Thalidomide
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Effective treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum with thalidomide is associated with immune stimulation.
pubmed:affiliation
Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA. phaslett@med.miami.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural