Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in sera, lymphocytes and granulocytes
in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated and compared
with control groups. Fifty patients and 50 healthy individuals were
studied. The clinical diagnosis was parasitologically confirmed by culture
and Giemsa stain. ADA activities were measured by colorimetric method.
Serum ADA activities 37.80+/-11.90, 18.28+/-6.08 IU/L (p{0.0001),
lymphocyte specific ADA activities 14.90+/-7.42, 8.38+/-7.42 U/mg protein
(p = 0.04), granulocyte specific ADA activities 1.15+/-0.73 , 1.09+/-0.67
U/mg protein ( p}0.05) were found in patients and control groups,
respectively. ADA activity increases in some infectious diseases were cell
mediated immune mechanisms are dominant. In cutaneous leishmaniasis,
lymphokine-mediated macrophage activity is the main effector mechanism.
Increase in serum and lymphocyte ADA activities in patients with cutaneous
leishmaniasis may be dependent on and reflects the increase in phagocytic
activity of macrophages and maturation of T-lymphocytes.
