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Leprosy is an infectious and contagious spectral disease accompanied by a series of immunological events triggered by the host's response to the etiologic agent, Mycobacterium leprae. Evidence suggests that the induction and maintenance of the immune/inflammatory response in leprosy are linked to multiple cell interactions and soluble factors, mainly through the action of cytokines. The ELISA test was used to measure the levels of IL-1β and IL-1Ra in 37 new leprosy patients followed-up during treatment and 30 healthy controls. Peripheral blood was collected four times during the treatment of leprosy patients (MDT pretreatment, 2 nd dose, 6 th dose and post-MDT), and only once from the controls. The comparison of molecular levels in pre-MDT patients and controls showed a statistically significant difference for IL-1β. The results suggest the participation of this cytokine in the genesis of the immune/inflammatory process. Key-words:Leprosy. Interleukins. IL-1β and IL-1Ra. RESUMOA hanseníase é uma doença infectocontagiosa espectral que acompanha-se por uma série de eventos imunológicos desencadeados pela resposta do hospedeiro frente ao agente etiológico, o Mycobacterium leprae. Evidências sugerem que a indução e manutenção da resposta imune/inflamatória na hanseníase estão vinculadas a interações de múltiplas células e fatores solúveis, particularmente através da ação de citocinas. Nesse estudo, foram mensurados níveis de IL-1β e IL-1Ra de 37 casos novos de hanseníase acompanhados ao longo do tratamento e 30 controles sadios pelo teste ELISA. A coleta de sangue periférico foi realizada em quatro tempos para os casos de hanseníase (pré-tratamento com PQT, 2ª dose, 6ª dose e pós-PQT) e em único momento para os controles. Na comparação dos níveis das moléculas de casos no pré-PQT e controles, houve diferença estatisticamente significativa somente para IL-1β. Nossos resultados sugerem a participação dessa citocina no processo imune/inflamatório. Palavras-chaves:Hanseníase. Interleucinas. IL-1β e IL-1Ra. Leprosy is a chronic infectious and parasitic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an atoxic, resistant, acid-alcohol-fast, obligate intracellular bacillus, which induces an extraordinary cell-mediated immune response in diseased individuals and affects mainly the skin and branches of peripheral nerves 4 17 19 20 .Neural injury, recognized by many authors as the most serious complication of leprosy, is triggered by infection and accompanied by a series of immunological events, whose evolution sequelae often last many years after infection has ceased 22 28 . It presents an important peculiarity to clinicians and immunologists: the host's diversity in responding to its etiologic agent imposes a diagnostic challenge and an excellent model for understanding cellular immunity in humans 23 .Leprosy is characterized by its high infectivity and low pathogenicity; moreover, more than 95% of the population are naturally immune to such an infection 18 31 32 33 . This condition can be changed in function of the relatio...

Even when treated adequately, pulmonary tuberculosis can lead to pulmonary sequelae. Patients treated for PTB between 2012 and 2016 answered a standardized questionnaire and underwent chest radiography and spirometry, measurement of absolute pulmonary volume, Diffusing Capacity for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO) and the 6-min walk test (6MWT) on two occasions: within the first year after the end of treatment (follow-up 1), and one and two years after follow-up 1 (follow-up 2). A total of 55 patients they underwent spirometry, 23 (41.82%) had obstructive ventilatory disorder (OVD) and eight (14.5%) had moderate OVD. In total, 29 patients underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and 24 patients underwent the 6MWT on two occasions. The functional changes after PTB treatment appear not to have varied between one and two years of follow-up. There was a correlation between low FEV 1 and low DLCO (p<0.001); low DLCO and low 6MWT (p<0.001) and radiographic abnormalities and low FEV 1 (p=0.033). The most frequently observed change in spirometry was found in patients with OVD.