TY  - JOUR
AU  - Pandey, Krishna 
AU  - Singh, Dharmendra 
AU  - Bimal, Sanjiva 
AU  - Murti, Krishna 
AU  - Das, Pradeep 
PY  - 2014
TI  - ASSOCIATION OF TESTOSTERONE AND CHOLESTEROL LEVEL IN MODULATION OF IMMUNITY AND SEVERITY OF DISEASE IN VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS PATIENTS-A PRELIMINARY STUDY
JF  - American Journal of Immunology
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.3844/ajisp.2014.46.55
UR  - https://thescipub.com/abstract/ajisp.2014.46.55
AB  - Males are more prone to Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) as compared to females. The role of androgens in host defence against Leishmania and other pathogens is of considerable interest. This study was aimed to understand a baseline mechanistic understanding of the pathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis with respect to testosterone. We examined the relationship between serum testosterone and cholesterol levels, antigen induced Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and production by Peripheral Blood Mono Nuclear Cells (PBMCs) and parasite burden as determined by microscopic examination on male patients (n = 18) with VL and gender-and age-matched controls (n = 10). Testosterone plasma levels were found to be up regulated in VL patients as compared to healthy controls. In severely infected patients, the mean testosterone concentration was observed to be increased compared with other VL patients (p