Genetics of Host Response to Leishmania tropica in Mice – Different Control of Skin Pathology, Chemokine Reaction, and Invasion into Spleen and Liver

Several hundred million people are exposed to the risk of leishmaniasis, a disease caused by intracellular protozoan parasites of several Leishmania species and transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. In humans, L. tropica causes cutaneous form of leishmaniasis with painful and long-persisting lesions in the site of the insect bite, but the parasites can also penetrate to internal organs. The relationship between the host genes and development of the disease was demonstrated for numerous infectious diseases. However, the search for susceptibility genes in the human population could be a difficult task. In such cases, animal models may help to discover the role of different genes in interactions between the parasite and the host. Unfortunately, the literature contains only a few publications about the use of animals for L. tropica studies. Here, we report an animal model suitable for genetic, pathological and drug studies in L. tropica infection. We show how the host genotype influences different disease symptoms: skin lesions, parasite dissemination to the lymph nodes, spleen and liver, and increase of levels of chemokines CCL2, CCL3 and CCL5 in serum

A discrepancy between cystic echinococcosis confirmed by ultrasound and seropositivity in Turkish children

PubMed ID: 15652335In three randomly selected villages of Manisa, Turkey, 630 primary school children were examined for cystic echinococcosis (CE) by a portable ultrasound scanner (US) and chest microfilm. Sera samples of 483 (76.7%) children were tested for anti-E. granulosus antibodies by ELISA and indirect hemagglutination (IHA) tests. Hepatic CE were detected in two cases (0.3%) by US, while 43 (8.9%) and 49 (10.1%) cases were found to be positive for CE by ELISA and IHA, respectively. The high seropositivity levels could have been attributed to extra-abdominal or abortive Echinococcus infections, but probably most of them were false-positives. Due to the discrepancy in results, US should be selected as the primary test in field studies and serologic tests should be performed in all cases with suspected lesions. We could not find any reported community based study on CE in Turkey, in which US was applied; but our results suggest that extensive epidemiological studies are required. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This study was financially supported by Mavişehir Rotary Club, İzmir, Turkey. We thank İzmir Tuberculosis Control Unit for providing microfilms, the people who cooperated with us during the study, especially the principle of national education, Manisa, the school principals and teachers. -

Evaluation of 131I-Pentamidine for scintigraphy of experimentally Leishmania tropica-infected hamsters

PubMed ID: 24405123We aimed to assess the ability of 131I-Pentamidine scintigraphy to detect the lesions of Leishmania tropica infection. An experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis was developed. The presence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was confirmed. Pentamidine was radioiodinated with 131I. The radiolabeled pentamidine was validated by the requisite quality control tests to check its radiolabeling efficiency, in vitro stability. 131I- Pentamidine (activity: 18.5 MBq/100 l) was injected intracardiacally into infected hamsters. Static whole body images of the hamsters were acquired under the gamma camera at 5 and 30 in, 2, 6 and 24 h following the administration. On the scintigrams, anatomically adjusted regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn over the right feet (target) and left feet (not-target) and various organs. Accumulation of 131I-Pentamidine at sites of infection is expressed as the target to non-target (T/NT) ratio. The results T/NT ratio decreased with time. In concluding the 131I-Pentamidine has poor sensitivity in detection of L. tropica infection. © 2014 Informa UK Ltd. All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted