Work

Leishmania braziliensis infection enhances adipokine and cytokine production and severity of cutaneous leishmaniasis in patients with obesity

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is more severe in obese individuals than in lean individuals. Here, we investigated the contribution of adipose tissue to the severity of CL in 39 obese and 43 lean patients with CL, along with 8 healthy subjects. Skin and subcutaneous biopsies were evaluated by histopathology and cytokine/adipokine analysis. Obese patients showed a lower response rate to antimony therapy (41% vs 70.4%) and longer healing times (P < .05). Histopathological analysis revealed denser dermal and subcutaneous inflammatory infiltrates in obese patients, which were predominantly composed of macrophages and lymphocytes, associated with high adipose tissue production of CCL-2. Obese patients exhibited increased dermal expression of TNF, IL-1β, IL-17, and granzyme B, all markers associated with disease severity. Leptin levels correlated positively with these inflammatory mediators, and leptin neutralization reduced their production. Leishmania infection also altered adipokine profiles: adiponectin levels were 10.5-fold higher in lean patients with CL than in lean healthy subjects, while leptin levels were 3.1-fold higher in obese patients with CL than in obese healthy subjects (P < .05). These findings indicate that in Leishmania braziliensis infection, adipocytes and dermal cells drive inflammatory cell infiltration into both subcutaneous and dermal compartments, accompanied by marked adipokine and cytokine production that amplifies tissue pathology.

Source: JID Innovations

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2026.100543