AJTMH ASTMH Job Mart
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 74(6), 2006, pp. 1076-1077
Copyright © 2006 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Supplemental figures
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (1)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PESCE, C.
Right arrow Articles by FIALLO, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by PESCE, C.
Right arrow Articles by FIALLO, P.
Right arrowPubmed/NCBI databases
*Compound via MeSH
*Substance via MeSH
Hazardous Substances DB
*HEMATOXYLIN
Related Collections
Right arrow Leprosy

SHORT REPORT


CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 EXPRESSION IN VESSELS AND NERVES IN REVERSAL REACTION LEPROSY

CARLO PESCE*, MYRIAM GRATTAROLA, STEFANO MENINI, AND PAOLO FIALLO
DISTBIMO, University of Genoa Medical School, Genoa, Italy; DISSAL, University of Genoa Medical School, Genoa, Italy

 

ABSTRACT

Tissue expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)2, an inducible enzyme synthesizing eicosanoids in inflammation, was studied in reversal reaction (RR) leprosy in comparison with nonreactionary leprosy. COX2 was consistently expressed in cells of the mononuclear-macrophage lineage across the leprosy spectrum. Only in RR, the following two additional sites showed COX2 expression in the dermis and subcutis: 1) microvessels and 2) nerve bundles and isolated nerve fibers. The same sites also express vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This is in keeping with experimental models relating VEGF to COX2 expression, with VEGF enhancing prostaglandin production through COX2 stimulation and prostaglandin synthase expression. We postulate that selective COX2 inhibitors, which are currently used in several inflammatory conditions, could be considered for RR treatment to reduce acute symptoms caused by tissue edema and possibly prevent long-term nerve damage, the main complication of RR.

Received November 14, 2005. Accepted for publication February 19, 2006.

* Address correspondence to Carlo Pesce, DISTBIMO, University of Genoa Medical School, Largo Benzi 10, Pad. IV, 16132 Genova, Italy. E-mail: pesce{at}unige.it

Note: Supplemental figures of non-reactional BT leprosy can be found online at www.ajtmh.org.

Authors’ addresses: Carlo Pesce, Myriam Grattarola, and Stefano Menini, DISTBIMO, University of Genoa Medical School, Largo Benzi 10, Pad. IV, 16132 Genova, Italy, E-mails: pesce{at}unige.it, mygrattarola{at}yahoo.it, and meninistefano{at}tin.it; Paolo Fiallo, Sezione di Dermatologia Sociale, DISSAL, University of Genoa Medical School, Viale Benedetto XV 7, 16132 Genova, Italy, E-mail: paolo.fiallo{at}hsanmartino.liguria.it.

Reprint requests: Carlo Pesce, DISTBIMO, University of Genoa Medical School, Largo Benzi 10, Pad. IV, 16132 Genova, Italy. E-mail: pesce{at}unige.it.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.Home page
M. B. Klinger, A. Dattilio, and M. A. Vizzard
Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in urinary bladder in rats with cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, August 1, 2007; 293(2): R677 - R685.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.