Publications

genetic analysis of multicase families of visceral leishmaniasis in northeastern brazil: no major role for class ii or class iii regions of hla.	familial aggregation, high relative risk to siblings, and segregation analysis, suggest genetic control of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. class ii gene effects in mice, and high circulating tumour necrosis factor alpha in humans, provide reasons to target hla. fifteen polymorphic markers across 1.03 mb (dqb1 to tnfa) were genotyped (87 multicase families; 638 individuals). model-based parametric analyses using single-point combined segregation and linkage in comds, or multi-point linkage in a ...	2002	12209362
long lasting protection against canine kala-azar using the fml-quila saponin vaccine in an endemic area of brazil (são gonçalo do amarante, rn).	naturally exposed dogs of an endemic area were vaccinated with the fucose mannose ligand (fml) antigen of leishmania donovani in formulation with quila saponin. the 100% of vaccinees were seropositive to fml and showed intradermal reaction to l. donovani lysate, 2 months after vaccination. the absorbency values and size of intradermal reaction were both significantly higher in vaccinees than in controls along a 3.5 years period (anova, p<0.0001). the 25% of the control animals (two dogs on the f ...	2002	12213397
[present-day specific features of visceral leishmaniasis in georgia].		2002	12214518
extramitochondrial localization of nadh-fumarate reductase in trypanosomatids.	trypanosoma brucei procyclic trypomastigotes and t. cruzi epimastigotes (both tulahuen and y strains) were permeabilized by incubation with increasing amounts of digitonin, causing enzymes to be released from different intracellular compartments. after 10 min incubation with digitonin, the cells were centrifuged and the activity of marker enzymes (aspartate-dependent malic enzyme for cytoplasm, hexokinase for glycosomes and either isocitrate dehydrogenase or citrate synthase for mitochondria) wa ...	2002	12223208
hemophagocytic syndrome as the presenting manifestation of visceral leishmaniasis.	hemophagocytosis in visceral leishmaniasis is rare and usually mild. however, presentation as hemophagocytic syndrome is exceptionally rare. we report the case of a 28 years man who presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia, reactive histiocytes and severe hemophagocytosis. subsequent investigations revealed he had leishmania donovani infection.	2002	12240858
[nramp1 gene: structure, function, and human infectious diseases].	the human infectious disease become of the great importance for health welfare. the infectious diseases mortality rate reaches one third of total mortality among 51 million patients died annually. the genetic factors seem to be most responsible for potency of human body to withstand to infections, caused by a variety of causative agents. the detection of the coincident factors and understanding the mechanisms of formation of susceptibility and resistance to infectious agents appeared to be impor ...	2002	12243064
a single-domain cyclophilin from leishmania donovani reactivates soluble aggregates of adenosine kinase by isomerase-independent chaperone function.	disaggregation and reactivation of aggregated proteins by chaperones is well established. however, little is known regarding such kind of function of single-domain small cyclophilins (cyps). here we demonstrate that, with increasing concentrations, fully active adenosine kinase (adk) of leishmania donovani tends to form soluble aggregates, resulting in inactivation. using this inactive enzyme as the substrate, it is shown that a cyp from l. donovani (ldcyp) alone can cause complete disaggregatio ...	2002	12244046
expression of calreticulin p-domain results in impairment of secretory pathway in leishmania donovani and reduced parasite survival in macrophages.	the secretory proteins of leishmania are thought to be involved in the parasite survival inside the insect vector or mammalian host. it is clear from studies in higher eukaryotes that proper folding in the endoplasmic reticulum and targeting out of the endoplasmic reticulum is critical for the function of secretory proteins. the endoplasmic reticulum chaperones such as calreticulin play an important role in the quality control of secretory proteins. however, very little is known about the secret ...	2002	12350377
crystallization and preliminary x-ray analysis of cyclophilin from leishmania donovani.	cyclophilin from the parasite leishmania donovani is a protein with peptidylprolyl cis-trans isomerase activity, in addition to being a receptor for the drug cyclosporin. crystals of the enzyme have been obtained in space group p4(3)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 48.73, c = 140.93 a, and diffract to 3.5 a resolution. one molecule per asymmetric unit gives a solvent content and matthews coefficient of 46% and 2.3 a(3) da(-1), respectively. molecular-replacement calculations with human c ...	2002	12351834
interleukin-10 (il-10) in experimental visceral leishmaniasis and il-10 receptor blockade as immunotherapy.	interleukin-10 (il-10) is thought to promote intracellular infection, including human visceral leishmaniasis, by disabling th1 cell-type responses and/or deactivating parasitized tissue macrophages. to develop a rationale for il-10 inhibition as treatment in visceral infection, th1 cytokine-driven responses were characterized in leishmania donovani-infected balb/c mice in which il-10 was absent or overexpressed or its receptor (il-10r) was blockaded. il-10 knockout and normal mice treated prophy ...	2002	12379707
studies on stibanate unresponsive isolates of leishmania donovani.	visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar (ka) is generally caused by leishmania donovani. organic pentavalent antimonials (sbv) is the first line of treatment for ka. however, the number of ka patients unresponsive to treatment with sb(v) is steadily increasing in india and elsewhere. the primary objective of this work is to determine the factor(s) associated with the rise of unresponsiveness. analysis of the clonal population of parasites clearly indicated that wild type parasites isolat ...	2002	12381874
development of a fast agglutination screening test (fast) for the detection of anti-leishmania antibodies in dogs.	a fast agglutination screening test (fast) for the detection of anti-leishmania antibodies in serum samples from dogs with visceral leishmaniosis was developed. the test is based on the direct agglutination test (dat), but combines a higher parasite concentration with a smaller test volume. in contrast to the dat, the fast makes use of only one serum dilution and the results can be read within 3 h as opposed to 18-20 h for the dat. the fast was evaluated using serum samples of confirmed cases of ...	2002	12383620
leishmania ef-1alpha activates the src homology 2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatase shp-1 leading to macrophage deactivation.	the human leishmaniasis are persistent infections of macrophages caused by protozoa of the genus leishmania. the chronic nature of these infections is in part related to induction of macrophage deactivation, linked to activation of the src homology 2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatase-1 (shp-1) in infected cells. to investigate the mechanism of shp-1 activation, lysates of leishmania donovani promastigotes were subjected to shp-1 affinity chromatography and proteins bound to the matrix were ...	2002	12384497
peroxisomal targeting protein 14 (pex14) from leishmania donovani. molecular, biochemical, and immunocytochemical characterization.	pathogens of the leishmania and trypanosoma genera compartmentalize glycolytic and other nutritional pathways in glycosomes, unique subcellular organelles related to the peroxisomes of mammals and yeasts. most glycosomal proteins are targeted to the glycosomes by a cooh-terminal tripeptide signal similar to the peroxisomal targeting signal-1 (pts-1). it has been proposed that pts-1 forms a complex with the pex5 receptor protein which then docks to the glycosomal membrane through interactions wit ...	2002	12387850
alteration of fas and fas ligand expression during human visceral leishmaniasis.	several studies in murine systems have suggested a role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis. however, the role of apoptosis in visceral leishmaniasis in man has not been explored. in this study, we show that patients with visceral leishmaniasis demonstrate significant dysregulation of fas and fas ligand. levels of soluble fas (sfas) and soluble fas ligand (sfasl) were elevated in plasma of patients with active visceral leishmaniasis (vl) and individuals co-infected with vl-hiv-1 co ...	2002	12390320
assessment of the antiprotozoal activity of galphimia glauca and the isolation of new nor-secofriedelanes and nor-friedelanes.	four new terpenoids, comprising three nor-secofriedelanes (1-3) and one nor-friedelane (4), were isolated from galphimia glauca, together with the known flavonol quercetin and the sterols stigmasterol and sitosterol 3-o-beta-d-glucoside. the structure elucidation of the new isolates was conducted by 1d and 2d nmr techniques. compounds 1-4 were given the trivial names galphin a, galphin b, galphin c, and galphimidin, respectively. all isolates were tested for in vitro antiprotozoal and cytotoxic ...	2002	12398543
evaluation of selected sudanese medicinal plants for their in vitro activity against hemoflagellates, selected bacteria, hiv-1-rt and tyrosine kinase inhibitory, and for cytotoxicity.	ethnobotanical investigations led to the selection of 19 plant species, used traditionally in sudan against malaria and other similar tropical diseases, for further studies. pamianthe peruviana (amaryllidaceae) exhibited significant activity against a chloroquine-resistant plasmodium falciparum strain (k1) and a chloroquine-sensitive strain (nf54) with ic(50) values of 0.6 and 1.1 microg/ml, respectively. additionally, p. peruviana showed considerable activities against trypanosoma brucei rhodes ...	2002	12426089
diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis: comparative potential of amastigote antigen, recombinant antigen and pcr.	development of simple, economical and non-invasive tests for the early diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) or kala-azar (ka) remains a challenge, and serological studies based on antigen prepared from the amastigote stage of leishmania donovani, the stage that causes infection, are lacking. in the present study, circulating antibodies to total antigen isolated from the promastigote and amastigote stages of the parasite, as well as to recombinant k39 (rk39) antigen, are measured by enzyme-li ...	2002	27786092
seroepidemiological study of visceral leishmaniasis among humans and animal reservoirs in bushehr province, islamic republic of iran.	using direct agglutination tests, a survey of visceral leishmaniasis was carried out among children and adults from 13 villages and from nomadic tribes in bushehr province during 1998-99. of the 1496 plasma samples, the overall seropositive rate (titres > or = 1:3200) was 3.4%. almost all cases (94.1%) were in children under 10 years old. eighteen patients were diagnosed with kala azar; fever and splenomegaly were the predominant signs and symptoms. parasitology and serology examinations of loca ...	2001	15332732
vectorial efficacy of phlebotomus argentipes in kala-azar endemic foci of bihar (india) under natural and artificial conditions.	ability of phlebotomus argentipes to acquire leishmania donovani the causative agent of indian kala-azar was evaluated in the laboratory. flies were fed artificially on infected blood suspensions, using a chick-skin-membrane feeding apparatus, and naturally on leishmania donovani infected mice. in addition flies collected from different endemic areas were dissected and examined for natural infection. flies fed on infected mice showed significantly higher feeding rate (14.4%, p < 0.01) compared t ...	2001	12170928
lymphatic leishmaniasis--first case report from nepal.	we report a case of exclusive involvement of lymph node in leishmaniasis presenting as generalized lymphadenopathy. the diagnosis of lymphatic leishmaniasis was confirmed by the presence of leishmania donovani body in fine needle aspiration cytology, positive direct agglutination test and anti-rk39 antibodies. the bone marrow aspiration was negative for leishmania donovani body. this is the first case of lymphatic leishmaniasis reported from nepal.	2001	12041549
kala-azar: a potentially eradicable disease as a public health challenge.		2001	11917322
leishmania donovani: expression and characterization of escherichia coli-expressed recombinant chitinase ldcht1.	leishmania parasites produce chitinase activity (ec. 3.2.1.14) thought to be important in parasite-sandfly interactions and transmission of the parasite to the vertebrate host. previous observations have suggested that parasite chitinases are involved in degradation of the sandfly peritrophic matrix and the chitinous layer of the cardiac valve cuticle. this chitinase activity is thought to produce an incompetent pharyngeal valve sphincter and a route of egress that allow leishmania promastigotes ...	2001	11888249
[visceral leishmaniasis in cameroon. seroepidemiologic survey in the kousseri region, north cameroon].	a sero-epidemiological survey of school children was carried out in kousseri, a focus for visceral leishmaniasis. sero-immunological assays for the detection of anti-leishmania antibodies were based on the indirect immunofluorescence assay test and counter-immunoelectrophoresis. 9 out of 223 school children tested positive for visceral leishmaniasis (seroprevalence rate of 4%). these 9 cases had no history of the disease. the data obtained confirm the endemicity of visceral leishmaniasis in this ...	2001	11889946
[treatment of visceral leishmaniasis: efficacy and limits of miltefosine].		2001	11861203
identification of amastigote-specific antigens of leishmania donovani using kala-azar patient sera.	antigenic characterization of the soluble fraction of axenic amastigotes of leishmania donovani ( strain dd8, causative agent of indian kala-azar) and their comparison with promastigotes is reported. the axenic amastigotes were assessed for their immunological status employing anti-a2 monoclonal antibody which is extremely specific for l. donovani amastigotes. sds-page of 35[s] methionine labeled proteins of the two parasite stages exhibited few stage specific and some conserved antigens in both ...	2001	12019753
purification and enzymatic activity of an nadh-fumarate reductase and other mitochondrial activities of leishmania parasites.	a 65 kd membrane-associated nadh-fumarate reductase subunit, which has a molecular weight similar to that of one of the enzyme subunits from bacteria, was purified from leishmania donovani promastigotes. nadh-fumarate reductase and other mitochondrial enzymatic activities of l. major and l. donovani promastigotes and amastigotes were investigated. the presence of nadh-fumarate reductase was demonstrated in digitonin-permeabilized l. major promastigotes and mitochondria of l. major and l. donovan ...	2001	11846720
selective impairment of protein kinase c isotypes in murine macrophage by leishmania donovani.	leishmania donovani, an obligate intracellular parasite resides and multiplies within macrophage of the reticuloendothelial system. the intracellular signalling mechanism involved in the impaired oxidative response in leishmaniasis has not yet been clearly established. generation of superoxide anion (o2-) is supposed to be the first line of host defence during microbial invasion. we found a substantial inhibition of superoxide anion generation in parasitized macrophages, which was just the rever ...	2001	11216863
terpenoids from guarea rhophalocarpa.	four new terpenes including, two sandaracopimaradiene diterpenoids, ent-8(14),15-sandaracopimaradiene-2alpha,18-diol, and ent8(14),15-sandaracopimaradiene-2beta,18-diol, and two lanostane triterpenoids, 23-hydroxy-5alpha-lanosta 7,9(11),24-triene-3-one, and 5alpha-lanosta-7,9(11),24-triene-3alpha,23-diol, were isolated from the methanolic extract prepared from the leaves of g. rhopalocarpa together with the known steroid stigmasterol and the coumarin, scopoletin. the isolates showed weak antipro ...	2001	11219815
the heat shock protein 90 of leishmania donovani.	the 90-kda heat shock protein (hsp90) of leishmania donovani is a highly abundant cytoplasmic protein and is involved in a variety of cellular processes. pharmacological deactivation of hsp90 leads to growth arrest and induces the synthesis of heat shock proteins. moreover, treatment of promastigote parasites with hsp90 inhibitors induces the synthesis of amastigote-specific marker proteins and a morphological alteration similar to axenic amastigote differentiation. we propose a role for hsp90 i ...	2001	11770104
comparative proteome analysis of leishmania donovani at different stages of transformation from promastigotes to amastigotes.	to pass through its life cycle, protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania have to differentiate from promastigotes to amastigotes. the molecular basis underiving this major transformation is poorly understood. one way to study this phenomenon is to isolate and characterize proteins that are specifically expressed in one of the two stages of the life cycle or during the stage differentiation. using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we mapped the leishmania donovani proteome during stage diff ...	2001	11770106
leishmania infection and virulence.	leishmaniasis is among the most important infectious diseases of the developing world. with the advent of effective culture conditions for the various stages of the life cycle, together with state of the art biochemical, genomics, and reverse genetic approaches, it has been possible to identify virulence factors required for the infection process. several of these virulence factors are discussed within including lipophosphoglygan, a2, cysteine proteinases, and gp63.	2001	11770107
heat shock protein 100 and the amastigote stage-specific a2 proteins of leishmania donovani.	hsp100 protein in leishmania spp. plays an important role for the survival and integrity of intracellular amastigotes. the a2 proteins of l. donovani are functionally linked to hsp100. there is evidence for an interdependence between these two proteins, which are both expressed predominantly in the amastigote stage of leishmania donovani. mutant strains lacking either of these proteins display very similar phenotypes, i.e. loss of virulence both in vivo and in vitro. also, both proteins colocali ...	2001	11770109
a case of pyrexia, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenia and hypergammaglobulinemia.		2001	11780210
ethiopian visceral leishmaniasis: generic and proprietary sodium stibogluconate are equivalent; hiv co-infected patients have a poor outcome.	we evaluated generic sodium stibogluconate (ssg) (international dispensary association, amsterdam) versus pentostam (sodium stibogluconate, glaxowellcome, london) under field conditions in ethiopian patients with visceral leishmaniasis (vl; kala-azar). the 199 patients were randomly assigned to pentostam (n = 104) or ssg (n = 95) in 1998/99; both drugs were given at 20 mg/kg intra-muscularly for 30 days. a clinical cure after 30-days treatment was achieved in 70.2% (pentostam) and 81.1% (ssg). t ...	2001	11816442
effect of immunization with lipid associated polysaccharide antigen and anti cd-2 antibodies on class ii mhc expression and cellular immune response in balb/c mice infected with leishmania donovani.	in a bid to characterize the antigens and immunization mechanisms which may be used to produce a protective response against l. donovani, role of lipid associated polysaccharide (lps) antigen and whole antigen was evaluated. balb/c mice were immunized with whole or lps antigen in combination with one of three putative adjuvents (anti cd-2 antibody/fia/0.85% saline). lps antigen emulsified in anti cd-2 antibody was found to induce significant antibodies in mice on day 28 against challenge with le ...	2001	11831368
a nonspecific nucleoside hydrolase from leishmania donovani: implications for purine salvage by the parasite.	in contrast to their mammalian hosts, protozoan parasites do not synthesize purines de novo, but depend on preformed nucleotides that they purportedly obtain by salvage pathways. nucleoside hydrolases may play a crucial role in that salvage process. by screening leishmania donovani libraries with polyclonal antibodies against promastigote soluble exo-antigens, we have identified a cdna encoding a protein with significant homology to nonspecific and uridine-inosine-preferring nucleoside hydrolase ...	2001	11738828
antileishmanial activity of hydrolyzable tannins and their modulatory effects on nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor-alpha release in macrophages in vitro.	a series of 27 hydrolyzable tannins and related compounds was tested for antiparasitic effects against both extracellular promastigote and intracellular amastigote leishmania donovani organisms. in parallel, the compounds were evaluated for their immunomodulatory effects on macrophage functions, including release of nitric oxide (no), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-alpha) and interferon (ifn)-like properties using several functional assays. of the series of polyphenols tested, only gallic aci ...	2001	11745019
in vitro antiprotozoal activity of extract and compounds from the stem bark of combretum molle.	the antiprotozoal activity of the ethiopian medicinal plant combretum molle (r. br. ex g. don.) engl & diels (combretaceae) was evaluated by in vitro testing against plasmodium falciparum, trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, trypanosoma cruzi and leishmania donovani. the acetone fraction of the stem bark of this plant prepared by soxhlet extraction was inactive against the intracellular amastigotes of l. donovani and t. cruzi in murine peritoneal macrophages but showed significant activity against e ...	2001	11746844
molecular genetics of nucleoside transporters in leishmania and african trypanosomes.	nucleoside transporters play central roles in the biochemistry of parasitic protozoa such as leishmania and african trypanosomes, because these parasites cannot synthesize purines de novo and are absolutely reliant upon purine salvage from their hosts. furthermore, nucleoside transporters are important to the pharmacology of these significant human pathogens, because they mediate the uptake of purine analogs, as well as some non-purine drugs, that are selectively cytotoxic to the parasites. rece ...	2001	11389872
the egyptian mongoose, herpestes ichneumon, is a possible reservoir host of visceral leishmaniasis in eastern sudan.	investigations were made on possible reservoir hosts of leishmania donovani in 2 zoonotic foci of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in dinder national park (dnp) and the peri-domestic habitats of adjacent villages of eastern sudan. animals were captured, in november 1997-1998 and april-may 1999 and examined for l. donovani infection using light microscopy and 2 sensitive polymerase chain reaction (pcr) systems. microscopy and pcr investigations were also used to determine the infection rates of l. don ...	2001	11393826
evidence for the extracellular reduction of alpha-lipoic acid by leishmania donovani promastigotes: a transplasma membrane redox system.	leishmania donovani cells, capable of reducing certain electron acceptors with redox potentials at ph 7.0 down to -290 mv, outside the plasma membrane, can reduce the oxidised form of alpha-lipoic acid. alpha-lipoic acid has been used as natural electron acceptor probe for studying the mechanism of transplasma membrane electron transport. transmembrane alpha-lipoic acid reduction by leishmania was not inhibited by mitochondrial inhibitors as azide, cyanide, rotenone or antimycin a, but responded ...	2001	11406092
inhibition of fumarate reductase in leishmania major and l. donovani by chalcones.	our previous studies have shown that chalcones exhibit potent antileishmanial and antimalarial activities in vitro and in vivo. preliminary studies showed that these compounds destroyed the ultrastructure of leishmania parasite mitochondria and inhibited the respiration and the activity of mitochondrial dehydrogenases of leishmania parasites. the present study was designed to further investigate the mechanism of action of chalcones, focusing on the parasite respiratory chain. the data show that ...	2001	11408218
re-emergence of visceral leischmaniasis: important diagnostic features.		2001	11419687
genetic analysis of spermidine synthase from leishmania donovani.	the polyamine biosynthetic pathway of protozoan parasites has been validated as a target in antiparasitic chemotherapy. to investigate this pathway at the biochemical and genetic level in a model parasite, the gene encoding spermidine synthase (spdsyn), a key polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, has been cloned and sequenced from leishmania donovani. the l. donovani spdsyn gene encodes a polypeptide of 300 amino acids that exhibits 56% amino acid identity with the human counterpart. spdsyn is present ...	2001	11420108
optimisation of an elisa for the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis using in vitro derived promastigote antigens.	an antibody detection elisa was developed for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. antigens released by leishmania donovani promastigotes into a protein-free medium were used. sds-page analysis has indicated that ld-esm contain several protein antigens. titration and chequer-board analyses were performed to optimise the assay protocol. optimal results were obtained when antigen (50 microg/ml) was coated with pbs-methyl glyoxal buffer, and wells blocked with 0.5% casein. a serum dilution of 1:500 ...	2001	11334970
successful vaccination against leishmania donovani infection in indian langur using alum-precipitated autoclaved leishmania major with bcg.	autoclaved leishmania major (alm) along with bcg, presently undergoing phase ii clinical trial by who for its vaccine potential against cutaneous leishmaniasis, has been successfully evaluated in single and triple dose schedules against l. donovani in indian langurs (presbytis entellus). encouraged with the results, another formulation alum-precipitated alm (provided by who) along with bcg has been evaluated in this system. eight monkeys were vaccinated with alum-precipitated alm + bcg (1 mg of ...	2001	11348715
activities of hexadecylphosphocholine (miltefosine), ambisome, and sodium stibogluconate (pentostam) against leishmania donovani in immunodeficient scid mice.	in both scid and balb/c mouse-leishmania donovani models, hexadecyphosphocholine (miltefosine) and ambisome had similar levels of activity. in contrast, sodium stibogluconate (pentostam) was significantly less active against l. donovani in scid mice than in balb/c mice. the in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of miltefosine was similar in peritoneal macrophages derived from both scid and balb/c mice, whereas pentostam and ambisome were significantly more active in the latter.	2001	11353640
point mutations in a nucleoside transporter gene from leishmania donovani confer drug resistance and alter substrate selectivity.	leishmania parasites lack a purine biosynthetic pathway and depend on surface nucleoside and nucleobase transporters to provide them with host purines. leishmania donovani possess two closely related genes that encode high affinity adenosine-pyrimidine nucleoside transporters ldnt1.1 and ldnt1.2 and that transport the toxic adenosine analog tubercidin in addition to the natural substrates. in this study, we have characterized a drug-resistant clonal mutant of l. donovani (tuba5) that is deficien ...	2001	11353834
leishmania species, drug unresponsiveness and visceral leishmaniasis in bihar, india.	sixteen isolates obtained, in january 1998-december 1999, from splenic aspirates from sodium stibogluconate-resistant cases of visceral leishmaniasis (vl; indian kala-azar) and drawn from different districts of bihar (india) were identified as leishmania donovani. by isoenzyme analysis, all the strains were found identical to the who reference strain l. donovani mon-2 and differed from l. tropica mon-5. this study suggested that resistant cases of vl in bihar were caused by l. donovani and not b ...	2001	11355558
inhibition of hiv-1-mediated syncytium formation and virus replication by the lipophosphoglycan from leishmania donovani is due to an effect on early events in the virus life cycle.	previous findings have indicated that the major surface molecule of leishmania, lipophosphoglycan (lpg), could abrogate hiv-1-induced syncytium formation and virus replication. in the present work, we were interested in characterizing this inhibitory process. data from a new luciferase-based semiquantitative assay for syncytium formation, relying on the coincubation of a t-cell line containing an hiv-1 ltr-driven luciferase construct with a cell line chronically infected with hiv-1, confirmed th ...	2001	11359440
leishmaniasis in sudan. mucosal leishmaniasis.	sudanese mucosal leishmaniasis is a chronic infection of the upper respiratory tract and/or oral mucosa caused mainly by leishmania donovani. the disease occurs in areas of the country endemic for visceral leishmaniasis, particularly among masalit and other closely related tribes in western sudan. the condition may develop during or after an attack of visceral leishmaniasis, but in most cases it is a primary mucosal disease. unlike south american mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, mucosal leishmaniasi ...	2001	11370249
leishmaniasis in sudan. post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.	post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (pkdl) is increasingly recognized in sudan as a complication of visceral leishmaniasis (vl), occurring in c. 55% of patients after, or during treatment of, vl. the development of pkdl seems to be restricted to parasites of the leishmania donovani sensu stricto cluster; no particular zymodeme has been found to be associated with it. in contrast to pkdl in india, pkdl in sudan occurs within 0-6 months after treatment for vl. the rash may be macular, maculo-papul ...	2001	11370251
attenuated toxoplasma gondii ts-4 mutants engineered to express the leishmania antigen kmp-11 elicit a specific immune response in balb/c mice.	in order to test recombinant toxoplasma as adjuvant and live vaccine carrier in the infectious disease model of murine experimental leishmaniasis, we engineered the attenuated, temperature-sensitive toxoplasma gondii strain ts-4 to express the heterologous leishmania antigen kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (kmp-11). transgenic ts-4 clones were obtained which express kmp-11 as cytoplasmatic protein or target it to the secretory pathway of the tachyzoites. immunization of balb/c mice with these ...	2001	11672909
generation of ceramide in murine macrophages infected with leishmania donovani alters macrophage signaling events and aids intracellular parasitic survival.	in the present study, we examined the involvement of intracellular ceramide in host pathogen interaction of balb/c mouse peritoneal macrophages infected with the obligate intracellular protozoan, leishmania donovani. our findings indicate that the level of intracellular ceramide was enhanced as a result of the in vitro infection. while the elevated ceramide was largely due to de novo synthesis, activation of the sphingomyelinases was also observed. the enhanced ceramide was responsible for the d ...	2001	11681721
isolation of leishmania infantum, zymodeme mon-1 from canine and human visceral leishmaniasis on margarita island, venezuela.	an increase in the incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis (hvl) has been detected in recent years on margarita island, located off the ne coast of venezuela. recent studies have revealed reactivity to rk39 antigen (leishmania chagasi) in 20% of 541 sera from domestic dogs in endemic communities; pcr reactions were positive using primers for the l. donovani complex. here we report that isolates from human and canine infection, identified by isoenzyme analysis, correspond to l. infantum, zymode ...	2001	11685252
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for recombinant k39 antigen in diagnosis and prognosis of indian visceral leishmaniasis.	the recombinant product (rk39) of the 39-amino-acid repeats encoded by a kinesin-like protein-encoding gene of leishmania chagasi was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for diagnostic potential and the ability to predict the response to therapy in indian kala-azar or visceral leishmaniasis (vl); we also compared its performance with that of crude soluble antigen (csa). at the diagnosis of vl, the anti-rk39 antibody titer was 59-fold higher than the anti-csa antibody titer. wi ...	2001	11687466
ca2+ signaling in the transformation of promastigotes to axenic amastigotes of leishmania donovani.	the present study is an attempt to look into the role of ca2+ in signaling the transformation of promastigotes to axenic amastigotes. an estimation of intracellular free calcium concentration at 6 h intervals during the conversion of promastigotes to axenic amastigotes (72 h) revealed a 10 fold increase in [ca2+]i at the initial 6-12 h during the conversion. this was followed by declining levels till 60 h and the concentration thereafter remained constant. axenic amastigotes (72 h) had a 5 fold ...	2001	11693198
heat shock protein 90 homeostasis controls stage differentiation in leishmania donovani.	the differentiation of leishmania parasites from the insect stage, the promastigote, toward the pathogenic mammalian stage, the amastigote, is triggered primarily by the rise in ambient temperature encountered during the insect-to-mammal transmission. we show here that inactivation of heat shock protein (hsp) 90, with the use of the drugs geldanamycin or radicicol, mimics transmission and induces the differentiation from the promastigote to the amastigote stage. geldanamycin also induces a growt ...	2001	11694568
modulation of macrophage mannose receptor affects the uptake of virulent and avirulent leishmania donovani promastigotes.	the effect of oxidants and the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone on the attachment and internalization of virulent and avirulent leishmania donovani promastigotes by the macrophage mannosyl fucosyl receptor was examined. oxidants and dexamethasone are known to down- and upregulate the expression of the mannose receptor. macrophages, when treated with 500 microm h2o2 at 37 c for 30 min, stimulate about 45% inhibition in uptake of an avirulent strain (ur6), and 30 and 25% inhibition for viru ...	2001	11695359
effect of leishmania donovani lipophosphoglycan on ornithine decarboxylase activity in macrophages.	lipophosphoglycan (lpg), a major surface molecule from leishmania donovani, stimulated ornithine decarboxylase (odc) activity in macrophages in a dose- and time-dependent manner. lpg stimulated the rapid increase in odc activity within 30 min after exposure, suggesting that the interaction of lpg with its receptor stimulated a specific signal transduction pathway. however, lpg-induced odc activity was a transient event because 3 hr after exposure to lpg, no stimulation of odc activity was detect ...	2001	11695367
a simple and sensitive test for field diagnosis of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.	current methods for diagnosis of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (pkdl) do not offer adequate sensitivity and specificity.	2001	11703291
tissue granuloma structure-function in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.	in experimental visceral leishmaniasis in normal mice (balb/c, c57bl/6) acquired resistance to leishmania donovani, a protozoan which targets tissue macrophages, depends upon t cells, th1 cell-type cytokine generation and activated mononuclear phagocytes. in the intact host, initial control and eventual resolution of l. donovani hepatic infection in normal mice is expressed by and accomplished within well-formed, mature tissue granulomas. in the liver, these immunologically active, inflammatory ...	2001	11703536
drug resistance in indian visceral leishmaniasis.	throughout the world, pentavalent antimonial compounds (sb(v)) have been the mainstay of antileishmanial therapy for more than 50 years. sb(v) has been highly effective in the treatment of indian visceral leishmaniasis (vl: kala-azar) at a low dose (10 mg/kg) for short durations (6-10 days). but in the early 1980s reports of its ineffectiveness emerged, and the dose of sb(v) was eventually raised to 20 mg/kg for 30-40 days. this regimen cures most patients with vl except in india, where the prop ...	2001	11703838
leishmania donovani: evolution and architecture of the splenic cellular immune response related to control of infection.	infection with the protozoan leishmania donovani in humans is usually subclinical. parasites probably persist for the life of the host and the low-level infection is controlled by the cellular immune response. to better understand the mechanisms related to the control of infection, we studied the evolution and architecture of the splenic cellular immune response in a murine model that is most representative of human subclinical infection. following systemic inoculation with l. donovani, the para ...	2001	11708830
efficacies of vesicular and free sodium stibogluconate formulations against clinical isolates of leishmania donovani.	in this study, the in vitro and in vivo efficacies of free sodium stibogluconate (ssg) and a nonionic surfactant vesicular formulation of ssg (ssg-niv) against a laboratory strain of leishmania donovani (mhom/et/67:lv82) and different clinical isolates of l. donovani were determined. treatment with ssg-niv was more effective against intramacrophage amastigotes than treatment with ssg. in vivo murine studies showed that there was interstrain variability in the infectivity of the different l. dono ...	2001	11709339
detection of leishmania causing visceral leishmaniasis in the old and new worlds by a polymerase chain reaction assay based on telomeric sequences.	we present a new polymerase chain reaction assay based on telomeric sequences of leishmania donovani. when this assay was used in dilutions of purified l. donovani dna, a strong amplification signal was observed with 1 fg of dna. in a specificity test that used purified dna from old world and new world leishmania, the assay recognized all parasites isolated from patients with visceral leishmaniasis, except for 2 isolates of leishmania colombiensis from venezuela and 1 isolate from brazil. all le ...	2001	11716117
early response gene expression during differentiation of cultured leishmania donovani.	the promastigote form of the unicellular parasite, leishmania donovani, must differentiate into the amastigote form to establish an infection in a mammalian host. identification of genes whose expression changes during differentiation could help reveal mechanisms of leishmania gene regulation and identify targets for controlling the diseases caused by this human pathogen. two genomic clones were isolated, p9 that is more highly expressed in promastigotes than in axenic amastigotes and a14 that i ...	2001	11728012
n-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (hpma) copolymers for targeted delivery of 8-aminoquinoline antileishmanial drugs.	a challenge to successful chemotherapy of visceral leishmaniasis is the dose-limiting toxicity of antileishmanial agents. one approach to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of these agents is to direct the drug to the phagolysosomes of the reticuloendothelial system (res) where the leishmanial parasites reside. in this work a series of n-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (hpma) copolymer-antileishmanial drug conjugates containing lysosomally degradable side chains and with or without su ...	2001	11733091
the origin and evolution of the leishmania donovani complex as inferred from a mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase ii gene sequence.	members of the leishmania donovani complex are parasites of the reticulo-endothelial system that are often associated with serious epidemics of a life threatening disease known as visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar. twenty-two leishmania isolates representative of the geographical range of the parasite were analysed for sequence variations in their cytochrome oxidase ii gene. in performing phylogenetic analysis, the maximum parsimonious, neighbour joining and maximum likelihood trees were congr ...	2001	12798051
leishmania plasma membrane mg2+-atpase is a h+/k+-antiporter involved in glucose symport. studies with sealed ghosts and vesicles of opposite polarity.	experiments from other laboratories conducted with leishmania donovani promastigote cells had earlier indicated that the plasma membrane mg2+-atpase of the parasite is an extrusion pump for h+. taking advantage of the pellicular microtubular structure of the plasma membrane of the organism, we report procedures for obtaining sealed ghost and sealed everted vesicle of defined polarity. rapid influx of h+ into everted vesicles was found to be dependent on the simultaneous presence of atp (1 mm) an ...	2001	11087746
antileishmanial activities of aphidicolin and its semisynthetic derivatives.	aphidicolin and a series of semisynthetic aphidicolan derivatives have been identified in in vitro tests as novel drugs with antiparasitic potential. all compounds have been tested against extracellular promastigotes of leishmania donovani, l. infantum, l. enriettii, and l. major and against intracellular amastigotes of l. donovani in murine macrophages. the compounds showed antileishmanial activity at concentrations in the microgram range (50% effective concentration [ec(50)] = 0.02 to 1.83 mic ...	2001	11120979
novel intracellular sbv reducing activity correlates with antimony susceptibility in leishmania donovani.	the standard treatment of human visceral leishmaniasis involves the use of pentavalent antimony (sb(v)). its mechanism of action is unknown because of the limited information available about intracellular antimony metabolism and about the genes that regulate these processes. herein, flow injection-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (icp-ms), flow injection hydride generation icp-ms, and ion chromatography icp-ms were used to measure antimony accumulation and intracellular metabolism in ...	2001	11110784
role of pcr in diagnosis and prognosis of visceral leishmaniasis in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.	a group of 76 consecutive human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)-positive patients with fever of unknown origin (n = 52) or fever associated with pulmonary diseases was evaluated in order to assess the usefulness of pcr with peripheral blood in the diagnosis and follow-up of visceral leishmaniasis. we identified 10 cases of visceral leishmaniasis among the 52 patients with fever of unknown origin. at the time of diagnosis, all were parasitemic by pcr with peripheral blood. during follow-up, a progre ...	2001	11136800
the hamster as a model of human visceral leishmaniasis: progressive disease and impaired generation of nitric oxide in the face of a prominent th1-like cytokine response.	active human visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is characterized by a progressive increase in visceral parasite burden, cachexia, massive splenomegaly, and hypergammaglobulinemia. in contrast, mice infected with leishmania donovani, the most commonly studied model of vl, do not develop overt, progressive disease. furthermore, mice control leishmania infection through the generation of no, an effector mechanism that does not have a clear role in human macrophage antimicrobial function. remarkably, infec ...	2001	11160239
latex agglutination test for the detection of urinary antigens in visceral leishmaniasis.	this paper describes a new latex agglutination test ('katex') for the detection of leishmanial antigen in the urine of patients with visceral leishmaniasis. in preliminary laboratory trials, using urine collected from well-defined cases and controls from brazil, yemen and nepal, the test had 100% specificity and a sensitivity between 68 and 100%. when used in a time-course experiment in cotton rats infected with leishmania donovani, the test became positive 1 week after inoculation and antigen l ...	2001	11164745
tetracycline regulated gene expression in leishmania donovani.	the prokaryotic tetracycline-responsive repressor/operator system has proven to be useful for studying the function of essential genes and the expression of toxic gene products in a number of organisms, including trypanosoma brucei. we report here the adaptation of this system for use in leishmania. the inducible promoter construct contains a bleomycin resistance-luciferase fusion (ble-luc) gene driven by an rrna promoter with two copies of the teto sequence inserted two nucleotides upstream of ...	2001	11166387
macrophage heterogeneity, antigen presentation, and membrane fluidity: implications in visceral leishmaniasis.	morphological and functional heterogeneity of the splenic macrophage (m phi) population was studied in leishmania donovani (ld) infected balb/c mice. on a discontinuous percoll gradient two distinct m phi populations were separated. they differed significantly in size as evident from scanning electron microscopy (sem). morphologically, the bigger m phi (lm) showed surface projections, whereas the smaller m phi (sm) was round. as regards the antigen-presenting abilities, the lm of infected animal ...	2001	11169214
immunomodulatory role of interleukin-10 in visceral leishmaniasis: defective activation of protein kinase c-mediated signal transduction events.	leishmania donovani, an intracellular protozoan parasite, challenges host defense mechanisms by impairing the signal transduction of macrophages. in this study we investigated whether interleukin-10 (il-10)-mediated alteration of signaling events in a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis is associated with macrophage deactivation. primary in vitro cultures of macrophages infected with leishmanial parasites markedly elevated the endogenous release of il-10. treatment with either l. donovani or ...	2001	11179319
calcium-induced conformational changes in leishmania infantum kinetoplastid membrane protein-11.	total-reflection x-ray fluorescence has been used to study whether the leishmania infantum kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 is a ca2+-binding protein. the 108 amino acid helix-loop-helix protein has the loop region located between residues 45 and 57, having similarity to the ef-hand motifs. in particular, the sequence alignment of the putative motif revealed the existence of 67% similarity and 33% identity with the ef-hand of the plasmodia-specific 40-kda protein from physarum polycephalum. to ...	2001	11191218
gp63 gene polymorphism and population structure of leishmania donovani complex: influence of the host selection pressure?	the gp63 encoding genes were characterized by pcr-rflp in 35 isolates representative of the leishmania donovani complex (l. infantum, l. donovani, l. archibaldi and l. chagasi), with special attention to mediterranean l. infantum from different geographical origins, and in separate groups from old world leishmania (l. major, l. tropica and l. aethiopica). the aim was to evaluate how the possible selective pressure by the host on these important surface proteins would influence structuring of our ...	2001	11197761
successful therapy of lethal murine visceral leishmaniasis with cystatin involves up-regulation of nitric oxide and a favorable t cell response.	the virulence of leishmania donovani in mammals depends at least in part on cysteine proteases because they play a key role in cd4(+) t cell differentiation. a 6-fold increase in no production was observed with 0.5 microm chicken cystatin, a natural cysteine protease inhibitor, in ifn-gamma-activated macrophages. in a 45-day balb/c mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis, complete elimination of spleen parasite burden was achieved by cystatin in synergistic activation with a suboptimal dose of ifn ...	2001	11238649
leishmaniasis diagnosed by liver biopsy: management of two atypical cases.	two patients presenting with pyrexia of unknown origin were diagnosed as having visceral leishmaniasis based on the presence of leishmania donovani bodies in liver tissue. of particular interest is that these two case reports suggest that in patients with pyrexia of unknown origin, a liver biopsy for l. donovani bodies should be considered even when several months have passed since leaving an endemic area, when splenomegaly is absent, when bone marrow examination and serology are not diagnostic, ...	2001	11246361
phospholipase d (pld) is present in leishmania donovani and its activity increases in response to acute osmotic stress.	we report here that the signaling molecule phospholipase d (pld) is present in the parasitic protozoan leishmania donovani. in vitro enzymatic activity is dependent on ca2+ and mg2+ ions, its basal activity is stimulated by phosphatidyl-inositol-4,5-bisphosphate (pip2) and its ph optima are ph 8.0 and ph 6.0. pld activity increases 3-fold about 5 min after an abrupt decrease in osmolality from 317 mosm (isosmotic) to 155 mosm and increases 1.5-fold in response to an abrupt increase in osmolality ...	2001	11249184
characterization of the a2-a2rel gene cluster in leishmania donovani: involvement of a2 in visceralization during infection.	the a2 gene family is present in leishmania donovani, which causes fatal visceral leishmaniasis in human patients, but is not present in leishmania major, which causes cutaneous leishmaniasis infections. the a2 genes in l. donovani are stage specific and are expressed at high levels in the amastigote stage in the mammalian host, but are not expressed in the promastigote stage in the insect sandfly vector. the a2 genes are tandem repeated with a distinct gene family termed the a2rel genes. in ord ...	2001	11251814
diagnosing visceral leishmaniasis with the recombinant k39 strip test: experience from the sudan.	we compared a strip test employing recombinant k39 (rk39) antigen and protein a/colloidal gold as read-out agents with the rk39 elisa for igm and igg antibodies and the direct agglutination test (dat) using 55 sera from patients with parasitologically confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (vl). the rk39 strip test was positive in 37/55 (67%), the dat in 50/55 (91%) at > or = 1 : 1600 cut-off value and in 47/55 (85%) at > or = 1 : 6400 cut-off value. the rk39-elisa gave positive igg results for all se ...	2001	11251906
pediatric visceral leishmaniasis in austria: diagnostic difficulties in a non-endemic region.	visceral leishmaniasis is usually fatal if left untreated. in europe it is mainly caused by leishmania infantum which is endemic in the whole mediterranean region. while visceral leishmaniasis classically affects children, adults increasingly suffer infections in regions which are known to be endemic for hiv. nowadays up to 70% of the patients with visceral leishmaniasis in southern europe are hiv-infected adults. the diagnosis is known to be especially difficult to establish in this group of pa ...	2001	11253734
liposomal amphotericin b.		2001	11253992
in vivo monitoring of intracellular atp levels in leishmania donovani promastigotes as a rapid method to screen drugs targeting bioenergetic metabolism.	a method for the rapid screening of drugs targeting the bioenergetic metabolism of leishmania spp. was developed. the system is based on the monitoring of changes in the intracellular atp levels of leishmania donovani promastigotes that occur in vivo, as assessed by the luminescence produced by parasites transfected with a cytoplasmic form of phothinus pyralis luciferase and incubated with free-membrane permeable d-luciferin analogue d-luciferin-[1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl) ethyl ester]. a s ...	2001	11257025
secretory and endocytic pathways converge in a dynamic endosomal system in a primitive protozoan.	leishmania are a group of primitive eukaryotic trypanosomatid protozoa that are apically polarized with a flagellum at their anterior end. surrounding the base of the flagellum is the flagellar reservoir that constitutes the site for endocytosis and exocytosis in these organisms. in the present study, we define a novel multivesicular tubular compartment involved in the intracellular trafficking of macromolecules in leishmania. this dynamic structure appears to subtend the flagellar reservoir and ...	2001	11260523
immunomodulatory principles of pelargonium sidoides.	extracts and isolated constituents (coumarins and phenols) of pelargonium sidoides dc, a plant species used in folk medicine by the southern african native population, were evaluated for their effects on nonspecific immune functions. although this herbal medicine is also successfully employed in modern phytotherapy in europe to cure infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, the scientific basis of its remedial effects is still unclear. thus, functional bioassays including an in vitro model f ...	2001	11268110
in vitro leishmanicidal activity of naturally occurring chalcones.	a variety of chalcones have been shown to exhibit activity against leishmania parasites. in contrast to synthetic or semisynthetic chalcones, only a few plant-derived compounds have been investigated. to provide a scientific rational for the antiprotozoal potency of plants used in ethnomedicine and containing chalcones, and in the search for new antiprotozoal drugs, we have carried out a primary screening for in vitro leishmanicidal activity of 20 chalcones isolated from plants. the compounds we ...	2001	11268116
green fluorescent protein-tagged leishmania in phlebotomine sand flies.	in this work we have used for the first time green fluorescent protein (gfp) tagged cells of the human parasite leishmania donovani to observe its development in the gut of phlebotomine sand flies. low numbers of gfp-tagged l. donovani were more easily detected than nontagged leishmania, suggesting that gfp-tagged leishmania could be used to efficiently study the biology of leishmania in their vectors, and open the possibility of using nonaxenic flies. using this method, we found that gfp-tagged ...	2001	11268689
lack of abundance of cytoplasmic cyclosporin a-binding protein renders free-living leishmania donovani resistant to cyclosporin a.	the majority of the effects of cyclosporin a (csa) on cells is caused by the inhibition of phosphatase activity of calcineurin (cn) by the cyclophilin a (cypa)-csa complex formed in the cytoplasm. although csa inhibits the proliferation of a large number of parasites, not all are susceptible. the presence of structurally altered cypa with lower affinity for csa had been suggested to be the cause of resistance. we report here the identification and cloning of a high affinity csa-binding protein ( ...	2001	11278494
flotillin-1-enriched lipid raft domains accumulate on maturing phagosomes.	flotillin-1 was recently shown to be enriched on detergent-resistant domains of the plasma membrane called lipid rafts. these rafts, enriched in sphingolipids and cholesterol, sequester certain proteins while excluding others. lipid rafts have been implicated in numerous cellular processes including signal transduction, membrane trafficking, and molecular sorting. in this study, we demonstrate both morphologically and biochemically that lipid rafts are present on phagosomes. these structures are ...	2001	11279173
interleukin-13 in iranian patients with visceral leishmaniasis: relationship to other th2 and th1 cytokines.	the role of interleukin (il)-13, a th2 cytokine sharing many of the features of il-4, has not previously been examined in patients with visceral leishmaniasis (vl). we examined sera from iranian patients with vl caused by leishmania infantum. serum il-13 was detected in 50% (22/44) of patients with active primary disease. in comparison, il-10 was detected in 79.5% (35/44), interferon gamma (ifn gamma) in 38.5% (17/44), and il-4 in only 5% (2/44) of these patients. with few exceptions all 3 cytok ...	2001	11280075
mapping of the antigenic determinants of the t. cruzi kinetoplastid membrane protein-11. identification of a linear epitope specifically recognized by human chagasic sera.	the high variability among strains and isolates of trypanosoma cruzi and the existence of shared antigenic determinants with other pathogens, particularly with members of the leishmania genus make difficult the specific diagnosis of chagas' disease. the data reported in this paper show that the t. cruzi kmp11 protein is an immunodominant antigen highly recognized by the sera from chagasic and leishmaniasis patients. by the use of amino- and carboxyl-terminal truncated kmp11 recombinant proteins ...	2001	11298135
leishmania donovani-induced macrophages cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin e2 synthesis.	prostaglandin e2 (pge2) secretion during leishmania infection has been reported. however, the signalling mechanisms mediating this response are not well understood. since cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2) and cytosolic phospholipase a2 (cpla2) are involved in pge2 synthesis in response to various stimuli, the implication of these enzymes was evaluated in leishmania-infected phorbol myristate acetate-differentiated u937 human monocytic cell line. time-course experiments showed that pge2 synthesis increase ...	2001	11298294
cd95 is required for the early control of parasite burden in the liver of leishmania donovani-infected mice.	in this study we show an increased incidence of t cell apoptosis in the liver and spleen of mice infected with leishmania donovani. t cells from l. donovani-infected mice were found to be increasingly susceptible to cd95-mediated apoptosis in vitro, compared to controls. to test if suboptimal t cell function resulting from cd95-mediated apoptosis contributes to sustained parasite burden in l. donovani parasitized mice, b6.gld mice (lacking functional cd95 ligand) were infected with l. donovani. ...	2001	11298345
seasonal and nocturnal landing/biting behaviour of phlebotomus argentipes (diptera: psychodidae).	the nocturnal activity of phlebotomus argentipes (diptera: psychodidae), the main vector of leishmania donovani in india, was studied throughout a year, with monthly collections, between 18.00 and 06.00 hours, of the sandflies landing on 15 humans and 15 cows in the village of bahapur, patna district. the cattle appeared to be better as bait, since more than five female p. argentipes were caught on them for each one caught on the human bait. overall, although p. argentipes were caught during eac ...	2001	11299126