| phenotypic differentiation in love song traits among sibling species of the lutzomyia longipalpis complex in brazil. | brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis may constitute a complex of cryptic species, and this report investigates the distribution and number of potential sibling species. one of the main differences observed among brazilian populations is the type of acoustic signal produced by males during copulation. these copulation song differences seem to be evolving faster than neutral molecular markers and have been suggested to contribute to insemination failure observed in crosses between these ... | 2015 | 26017472 |
| oviposition in the blood-sucking insect rhodnius prolixus is modulated by host odors. | triatomine bugs are blood-sucking insects, vectors of chagas disease. despite their importance, their oviposition behavior has received relatively little attention. some triatomines including rhodnius prolixus stick their eggs to a substrate. it is known that mechanical cues stimulate oviposition in this species. however, it is not clear if chemical signals play a role in this behavior. we studied the role of host cues, including host odor, in the oviposition behavior of the triatomine r. prolix ... | 2015 | 25956818 |
| knowledge of the population about visceral leishmaniasis transmission in endemic areas near the banks of the mossoró river in northeastern brazil. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is an anthropozoonosis with high prevalence and incidence in the northeastern region of brazil. this study aimed to determine whether people living near the mossoró river in the city of mossoró, rio grande do norte, have knowledge of vl and to characterize the environmental properties of this region. questionnaires were administered to 478 residents in three neighborhoods near the mossoró river, addressing the population's knowledge about vl and environmental characte ... | 2015 | 25809514 |
| distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis chemotype populations in são paulo state, brazil. | american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) is an emerging disease in the state of são paulo, brazil. its geographical expansion and the increase in the number of human cases has been linked to dispersion of lutzomyia longipalpis into urban areas. to produce more accurate risk maps we investigated the geographic distribution and routes of expansion of the disease as well as chemotype populations of the vector. | 2015 | 25781320 |
| scanning and three-dimensional electron microscopy methods for the study of trypanosoma brucei and leishmania mexicana flagella. | three-dimensional electron microscopy tools have revolutionized our understanding of cell structure and molecular complexes in biology. here, we describe methods for studying flagellar ultrastructure and biogenesis in two unicellular parasites-trypanosoma brucei and leishmania mexicana. we describe methods for the preparation of these parasites for scanning electron microscopy cellular electron tomography, and serial block face scanning electron microscopy (sbfsem). these parasites have a highly ... | 2015 | 25837406 |
| identification of leishmania infantum in puerto iguazú, misiones, argentina. | the emergence of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) in latin america is a growing public health problem. the urbanization of zvl has been observed in different countries around the world, and there are a growing number of reports drawing attention to the emergence of this infection in new locations, as well as its increase in previously established areas of endemicity. in the city of posadas, misiones province, northeastern argentina, the transmission of zvl associated with canines and lutzom ... | 0 | 25923899 |
| epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients: experience from thirty cases. | visceral leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the protozoan leishmania sp. and is transmitted by lutzomyia longipalpis (sand fly). in renal transplant recipients, visceral leishmaniasis causes severe damage to the liver, spleen, and hematopoietic system, as well as poor outcomes for patients with transplanted kidneys. this study describes the largest series of cases of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients, providing important information about the diagnostic routines and therape ... | 2015 | 25877483 |
| vaccination with leishmania infantum acidic ribosomal p0 but not with nucleosomal histones proteins controls leishmania infantum infection in hamsters. | several intracellular leishmania antigens have been identified in order to find a potential vaccine capable of conferring long lasting protection against leishmania infection. histones and acid ribosomal proteins are already known to induce an effective immune response and have successfully been tested in the cutaneous leishmaniasis mouse model. here, we investigate the protective ability of l. infantum nucleosomal histones (his) and ribosomal acidic protein p0 (lip0) against l. infantum infecti ... | 2015 | 25642946 |
| leishmania (l.) mexicana infected bats in mexico: novel potential reservoirs. | leishmania (leishmania) mexicana causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, an endemic zoonosis affecting a growing number of patients in the southeastern states of mexico. some foci are found in shade-grown cocoa and coffee plantations, or near perennial forests that provide rich breeding grounds for the sand fly vectors, but also harbor a variety of bat species that live off the abundant fruits provided by these shade-giving trees. the close proximity between sand flies and bats makes their interaction f ... | 2015 | 25629729 |
| multi-antigen print immunoassay (mapia)-based evaluation of novel recombinant leishmania infantum antigens for the serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis. | domestic dogs are the principal reservoir hosts of leishmania infantum in regions where visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is endemic. although serologic methods are frequently used for the screening of infected dogs, antibody-based tests require further assessment, due to lack of sensitivity and specificity. in this study, we employed a multi-antigen printing immunoassay (mapia) to compare the antibody responses to novel recombinant proteins of l. infantum with the potential for the detection of canin ... | 2015 | 25616448 |
| phytomonas: trypanosomatids adapted to plant environments. | over 100 years after trypanosomatids were first discovered in plant tissues, phytomonas parasites have now been isolated across the globe from members of 24 different plant families. most identified species have not been associated with any plant pathology and to date only two species are definitively known to cause plant disease. these diseases (wilt of palm and coffee phloem necrosis) are problematic in areas of south america where they threaten the economies of developing countries. in contra ... | 2015 | 25607944 |
| leishmania enriettii: biochemical characterisation of lipophosphoglycans (lpgs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (gipls) and infectivity to cavia porcellus. | leishmania enriettii is a species non-infectious to man, whose reservoir is the guinea pig cavia porcellus. many aspects of the parasite-host interaction in this model are unknown, especially those involving parasite surface molecules. while lipophosphoglycans (lpgs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (gipls) of leishmania species from the old and new world have already been described, glycoconjugates of l. enriettii and their importance are still unknown. | 2015 | 25595203 |
| plant-derived compounds in treatment of leishmaniasis. | leishmaniasis is a neglected public health problem caused by the protozoan species belonging to the genus leishmania affecting mostly the poor populations of developing countries. the causative organism is transmitted by female sandflies. cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral clinical manifestations are the most frequent forms of leishmaniasis. chemotherapy still relies on the use of pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin b, paromomycin, miltefosin and liposomal amphotericin b. however, the appl ... | 0 | 27175144 |
| update on fogo selvagem, an endemic form of pemphigus foliaceus. | pemphigus are organ-specific autoimmune diseases, where autoantibodies (mainly immunoglobulin [ig]g) directed against epidermal targets (glycoproteins of the desmosomal core) are detected. endemic pemphigus foliaceus or fogo selvagem (fs) is one of the variants of pemphigus foliaceus pemphigus foliaceus that shares the same clinical and immunopathological features of the classic non-endemic pemphigus foliaceus form, including pathogenic igg (mainly igg4) autoantibodies directed against the ectod ... | 0 | 25558948 |
| vaccines for canine leishmaniasis. | leishmania infantum is the obligatory intracellular parasite of mammalian macrophages and causes zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl). the presence of infected dogs as the main reservoir host of zvl is regarded as the most important potential risk for human infection. thus the prevention of canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is essential to stop the current increase of the mediterranean visceral leishmaniasis. recently considerable advances in achieving protective immunization of dogs and seve ... | 2014 | 25628897 |
| prostaglandin e2/leukotriene b4 balance induced by lutzomyia longipalpis saliva favors leishmania infantum infection. | eicosanoids and sand fly saliva have a critical role in the leishmania infection. here, we evaluated the effect of lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland sonicate (sgs) on neutrophil and monocyte recruitment and activation of eicosanoid production in a murine model of inflammation. | 2014 | 25526785 |
| the nuclear receptor genes hr3 and e75 are required for the circadian rhythm in a primitive insect. | insect circadian rhythms are generated by a circadian clock consisting of transcriptional/translational feedback loops, in which cycle and clock are the key elements in activating the transcription of various clock genes such as timeless (tim) and period (per). although the transcriptional regulation of clock (clk) has been profoundly studied, little is known about the regulation of cycle (cyc). here, we identify the orphan nuclear receptor genes hr3 and e75, which are orthologs of mammalian clo ... | 2014 | 25502221 |
| do size and insecticide treatment matter? evaluation of different nets against phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in nepal. | in the indian subcontinent, leishmania donovani, the parasite causing visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is transmitted by the sand fly vector phlebotomus argentipes. long lasting insecticide treated nets (ln) have been postulated as alternative or complement to indoor residual spraying but there are few field studies evaluating the entomological efficacy of different nets against this vector. we conducted two crossover trials in a vl endemic area in nepal to compare the barrier effect of (1) ln with d ... | 2014 | 25494099 |
| effects of nutritional components on aging. | nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals regulate various physiological processes and are essential for the survival of organisms. reduced overall caloric intake delays aging in various organisms. however, the role of each nutritional component in the regulation of lifespan is not well established. in this review, we describe recent studies focused on the regulatory role of each type of nutrient in aging. moreover, we will discuss how the amount or composition ... | 2014 | 25339542 |
| ige anti-ljm11 sand fly salivary antigen may herald the onset of fogo selvagem in endemic brazilian regions. | | 2014 | 25285921 |
| expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in macrophages inversely correlates with parasitism of lymphoid tissues in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis. | there are only a few studies reporting the role of nitric oxide metabolites for controlling macrophage intracellular parasitism, and these are controversial. therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) in the lymph nodes and spleen of dogs affected by visceral leishmaniasis through immunohistochemistry and to determine its correlation with tissue parasite burden and serum interferon (ifn)-γ levels. twenty-eight dogs were selected and as ... | 2014 | 25195062 |
| occurrence of two autochthonous cases of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the neighborhood of caju, city of rio de janeiro, brazil. | american cutaneous leishmaniasis is in full geographic expansion in brazil and it is considered among the infectious and parasitic diseases of utmost importance worldwide, not only by its frequency, but mainly by therapeutic difficulties, deformities and sequelae that may result. in the state of rio de janeiro, the first autochthonous case of american cutaneous leishmaniasis was registered by rabello in 1913. the authors report two cases of the disease in the region around the cemetery são franc ... | 0 | 25184938 |
| wild and synanthropic reservoirs of leishmania species in the americas. | the definition of a reservoir has changed significantly in the last century, making it necessary to study zoonosis from a broader perspective. one important example is that of leishmania, zoonotic multi-host parasites maintained by several mammal species in nature. the magnitude of the health problem represented by leishmaniasis combined with the complexity of its epidemiology make it necessary to clarify all of the links in transmission net, including non-human mammalian hosts, to develop effec ... | 2014 | 25426421 |
| visceral leishmaniasis: advancements in vaccine development via classical and molecular approaches. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) or kala-azar, a vector-borne protozoan disease, shows endemicity in larger areas of the tropical, subtropical and the mediterranean countries. who report suggested that an annual incidence of vl is nearly 200,000 to 400,000 cases, resulting in 20,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. treatment with available anti-leishmanial drugs are not cost effective, with varied efficacies and higher relapse rate, which poses a major challenge to current kala-azar control program in indi ... | 2014 | 25202307 |
| vector saliva in vaccines for visceral leishmaniasis: a brief encounter of high consequence? | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies and remains the most serious form of the disease with no available human vaccine. repeatedly, studies have demonstrated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a number of sand fly salivary proteins against cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. all leishmania species including agents of vl are co-deposited into the skin together with vector saliva. generally, the immune response to a protective sal ... | 2014 | 25152872 |
| colonisation resistance in the sand fly gut: leishmania protects lutzomyia longipalpis from bacterial infection. | phlebotomine sand flies transmit the haemoflagellate leishmania, the causative agent of human leishmaniasis. the leishmania promastigotes are confined to the gut lumen and are exposed to the gut microbiota within female sand flies. here we study the colonisation resistance of yeast and bacteria in preventing the establishment of a leishmania population in sand flies and the ability of leishmania to provide colonisation resistance towards the insect bacterial pathogen serratia marcescens that is ... | 2014 | 25051919 |
| cultivation of parasites. | parasite cultivation techniques constitute a substantial segment of present-day study of parasites, especially of protozoa. success in establishing in vitro and in vivo culture of parasites not only allows their physiology, behavior and metabolism to be studied dynamically, but also allows the nature of the antigenic molecules in the excretory and secretory products to be vigorously pursued and analyzed. the complex life-cycles of various parasites having different stages and host species requir ... | 0 | 25250227 |
| a listeria monocytogenes-based vaccine that secretes sand fly salivary protein ljm11 confers long-term protection against vector-transmitted leishmania major. | cutaneous leishmaniasis is a sand fly-transmitted disease characterized by skin ulcers that carry significant scarring and social stigmatization. over the past years, there has been cumulative evidence that immunity to specific sand fly salivary proteins confers a significant level of protection against leishmaniasis. in this study, we used an attenuated strain of listeria monocytogenes as a vaccine expression system for ljm11, a sand fly salivary protein identified as a good vaccine candidate. ... | 2014 | 24733091 |
| humoral responses in rhodnius prolixus: bacterial feeding induces differential patterns of antibacterial activity and enhances mrna levels of antimicrobial peptides in the midgut. | the triatomine, rhodnius prolixus, is a major vector of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease in latin america. it has a strictly blood-sucking habit in all life stages, ingesting large amounts of blood from vertebrate hosts from which it can acquire pathogenic microorganisms. in this context, the production of antimicrobial peptides (amps) in the midgut of the insect is vital to control possible infection, and to maintain the microbiota already present in the digestive tract. | 2014 | 24885969 |
| purification and characterization of midgut α-amylase in a predatory bug, andralus spinidens. | α-amylases are widespread enzymes that catalyze endohydrolysis of long α-1,4-glucan chains such as starch and glycogen. the highest amylolytic activity was found in 5th instar nymphs and midgut of the predatory bug, andrallus spinidens f. (hemiptera: pentatomidae). the α-amylase was purified following a three-step procedure. the purified α-amylase had a specific activity of 13.46 u/mg protein, recovery of 4.21, purification fold of 13.87, and molecular weight of 21.3 kda. the enzyme had optimal ... | 2014 | 25373212 |
| identification of blood meal sources of lutzomyia longipalpis using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the cytochrome b gene. | an analysis of the dietary content of haematophagous insects can provide important information about the transmission networks of certain zoonoses. the present study evaluated the potential of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene to differentiate between vertebrate species that were identified as possible sources of sandfly meals. the complete cytb gene sequences of 11 vertebrate species available in ... | 2014 | 24821056 |
| epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis. | leishmania species are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. these parasitic protozoans are usually transmitted between vertebrate hosts by the bite of blood sucking female phlebotomine sand flies. this review focuses on the two parasites causing most human visceral leishmaniasis (vl), which leads to substantial health problems or death for up to 400,000 people per year. except for travel cases, leishmania donovani infections are restricted to the (sub-)tropics of ... | 2014 | 24833919 |
| expansion of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of rio de janeiro, brazil: report of the first autochthonous case in the municipality of volta redonda and the difficulty of diagnosis. | visceral leishmaniasis has been showing remarkable epidemiological changes in recent decades, with marked expansion and an emergence of cases in urban areas of the north, southeast and midwest regions of brazil. the kala-azar cases reported here, despite being very characteristic, presented a great difficulty of diagnosis, because the disease is not endemic in volta redonda. the child underwent two hospitalizations in different hospitals, but got the correct diagnosis only after 11 months of sym ... | 0 | 24879008 |
| a potential link among antioxidant enzymes, histopathology and trace elements in canine visceral leishmaniasis. | canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is a severe and fatal systemic chronic inflammatory disease. we investigated the alterations in, and potential associations among, antioxidant enzymes, trace elements and histopathology in cvl. blood and tissue levels of cu-zn superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in mixed-breed dogs naturally infected with leishmania infantum chagasi, symptomatic (n = 19) and asymptomatic (n = 11). serum levels of copper, iron, zinc, selenium ... | 2014 | 24766461 |
| synthetic sex pheromone in a long-lasting lure attracts the visceral leishmaniasis vector, lutzomyia longipalpis, for up to 12 weeks in brazil. | current control methodologies have not prevented the spread of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) across brazil. here, we describe the development of a new tool for controlling the sand fly vector of the disease: a long-lasting lure, which releases a synthetic male sex pheromone, attractive to both sexes of lutzomyia longipalpis. this device could be used to improve the effectiveness of residual insecticide spraying as a means of sand fly control, attracting l. longipalpis to insecticide-treated animal ... | 2014 | 24651528 |
| female preference and predation risk models can explain the maintenance of a fallow deer (dama dama) lek and its 'handy' location. | we tested the predictions of three models (female preference; hotspot; predator avoidance) on lek formation in the fallow deer population of san rossore, tuscany. we collected behavioural observations in two leks and radiotracking data on 67 deer over 7 years. two deer sub-populations were present in the northern and southern sides of the area, respectively, the two sectors being delimited by a river and including one lek each. predictions were tested for one lek (sg), located in the south-side ... | 2014 | 24599036 |
| evaluation of canine and feline leishmaniasis by the association of blood culture, immunofluorescent antibody test and polymerase chain reaction. | this study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of leishmania spp. in dogs and cats from botucatu, são paulo state, and campo grande, mato grosso do sul state, brazil, by the association of three diagnostic tests: blood culture in liver infusion tryptose medium, immunofluorescent antibody test and polymerase chain reaction. fifty blood samples of dogs and cats from the center for zoonosis control in campo grande, an area endemic for canine visceral leishmaniasis, were collected randomly, as well as ... | 2014 | 24565284 |
| lbsapsal-vaccinated dogs exhibit increased circulating t-lymphocyte subsets (cd4⁺ and cd8⁺) as well as a reduction of parasitism after challenge with leishmania infantum plus salivary gland of lutzomyia longipalpis. | the development of a protective vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is an alternative approach for interrupting the domestic cycle of leishmania infantum. given the importance of sand fly salivary proteins as potent immunogens obligatorily co-deposited during transmission of leishmania parasites, their inclusion in an anti-leishmania vaccine has been investigated in the last few decades. in this context, we previously immunized dogs with a vaccine composed of l. braziliensis anti ... | 2014 | 24507702 |
| heterogeneities in leishmania infantum infection: using skin parasite burdens to identify highly infectious dogs. | the relationships between heterogeneities in host infection and infectiousness (transmission to arthropod vectors) can provide important insights for disease management. here, we quantify heterogeneities in leishmania infantum parasite numbers in reservoir and non-reservoir host populations, and relate this to their infectiousness during natural infection. tissue parasite number was evaluated as a potential surrogate marker of host transmission potential. | 2014 | 24416460 |
| first case of autochthonous human visceral leishmaniasis in the urban center of rio de janeiro: case report. | visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis that is caused by protozoa of the genus leishmania, especially leishmania (leishmania) infantum, and is transmitted to humans by the bite of sandflies of the genus lutzomyia, such as lutzomyia longipalpis. there are many reservoirs, including canis familiaris. it is a chronic infectious disease with systemic involvement that is characterized by three phases: the initial period, the state period and the final period. the main symptoms are fever, malnu ... | 0 | 24553614 |
| distinct cellular migration induced by leishmania infantum chagasi and saliva from lutzomyia longipalpis in a hemorrhagic pool model. | recruitment of a specific cell population after leishmania infection can influence the outcome of the disease. cellular migration in response to leishmania or vector saliva has been reported in air pouch model, however, cellular migration induced by leishmania associated with host's blood and vector saliva in this model has not been described. herein we investigated cellular migration into air pouch of hamster after stimulation with combination of l. chagasi and host's blood and lutzomyia longip ... | 0 | 24553604 |
| the concise guide to pharmacology 2013/14: g protein-coupled receptors. | the concise guide to pharmacology 2013/14 provides concise overviews of the key properties of over 2000 human drug targets with their pharmacology, plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. the full contents can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12444/full. g protein-coupled receptors are one of the seven major pharmacological targets into ... | 0 | 24517644 |
| molecular analysis of an odorant-binding protein gene in two sympatric species of lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. | lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. is the main vector of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) and occurs as a species complex. dna samples from two brazilian sympatric species that differ in pheromone and courtship song production were used to analyse molecular polymorphisms in an odorant-binding protein (obp29) gene. obps are proteins related to olfaction and are involved in activities fundamental to survival, such as foraging, mating and choice of oviposition site. in this study, the marker obp29 was ... | 0 | 24473807 |
| relative risk of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil: a spatial analysis in urban area. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a vector-borne disease whose factors involved in transmission are poorly understood, especially in more urban and densely populated counties. in brazil, the vl urbanization is a challenge for the control program. the goals were to identify the greater risk areas for human vl and the risk factors involved in transmission. | 2013 | 24244776 |
| oviposition behaviour of phlebotomus argentipes--a laboratory-based study. | the breeding habitat of sandflies is a little studied and poorly understood phenomenon. more importantly, oviposition behaviour is a largely neglected aspect of sandfly biology and this knowledge gap further undermines our understanding of the biology of sandflies. pheromones released by the eggs play an important role in identifying good sites for oviposition by female insects. several recent studies have examined the oviposition pheromone. the present study provides a preliminary report on the ... | 0 | 24141963 |
| age-dependent female responses to a male ejaculate signal alter demographic opportunities for selection. | a central tenet of evolutionary explanations for ageing is that the strength of selection wanes with age. however, data on age-specific expression and benefits of sexually selected traits are lacking-particularly for traits subject to sexual conflict. we addressed this by using as a model the responses of drosophila melanogaster females of different ages to receipt of sex peptide (sp), a seminal fluid protein transferred with sperm during mating. sp can mediate sexual conflict, benefitting males ... | 2013 | 23843383 |
| culling dogs in scenarios of imperfect control: realistic impact on the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis. | visceral leishmaniasis belongs to the list of neglected tropical diseases and is considered a public health problem worldwide. spatial correlation between the occurrence of the disease in humans and high rates of canine infection suggests that in the presence of the vector, canine visceral leishmaniasis is the key factor for triggering transmission to humans. despite the control strategies implemented, such as the sacrifice of infected dogs being put down, the incidence of american visceral leis ... | 2013 | 23951375 |
| estimating the optimal control of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis by the use of a mathematical model. | we argue that the strategy of culling infected dogs is not the most efficient way to control zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) and that, in the presence of alternative control strategies with better potential results, official programs of compulsory culling adopted by some countries are inefficient and unethical. we base our arguments on a mathematical model for the study of control strategies against zvl, which allows the comparison of the efficacies of 5, alternative strategies. we demonst ... | 2013 | 23990761 |
| validity and reliability of enzyme immunoassays using leishmania major or l. infantum antigens for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. | american visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan leishmania infantum. dogs are the main reservoirs in the domestic transmission cycle. the limited accuracy of diagnostic tests for canine leishmaniasis may contribute to the lack of impact of control measures recommended by the brazilian ministry of health. the objective of this study was to estimate the accuracy of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays employing l. major or l. infantum antigens and their reliability between three labor ... | 2013 | 23922884 |
| expression of toll-like receptors 2 and 9 in cells of dog jejunum and colon naturally infected with leishmania infantum. | infection with parasite protozoa is a long-term health issue in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. the toll-like receptor (tlr) signaling pathway is one of the first-responding defense systems against leishmania. the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of tlr2 and tlr9 in jejunum and colon and its correlation with cd11c, cd11b, and cd14 receptors used as markers for dendritic cells and macrophages. | 2013 | 23668673 |
| experimental infection of dogs with leishmania and saliva as a model to study canine visceral leishmaniasis. | canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is a zoonotic disease caused by leishmania infantum, transmitted by the bite of lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. dogs are the main domestic reservoir of the parasite. the establishment of an experimental model that partially reproduces natural infection in dogs is very important to test vaccine candidates, mainly regarding those that use salivary proteins from the vector and new therapeutical approaches. | 2013 | 23577121 |
| evaluation of pcr procedures for detecting and quantifying leishmania donovani dna in large numbers of dried human blood samples from a visceral leishmaniasis focus in northern ethiopia. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a disseminated protozoan infection caused by leishmania donovani parasites which affects almost half a million persons annually. most of these are from the indian sub-continent, east africa and brazil. our study was designed to elucidate the role of symptomatic and asymptomatic leishmania donovani infected persons in the epidemiology of vl in northern ethiopia. | 2013 | 23530965 |
| first comparative transcriptomic analysis of wild adult male and female lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis. | leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease with a complex epidemiology and ecology. visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is its most severe clinical form as it results in death if not treated. in latin america vl is caused by the protist parasite leishmania infantum (syn. chagasi) and transmitted by lutzomyia longipalpis. this phlebotomine sand fly is only found in the new world, from mexico to argentina. however, due to deforestation, migration and urbanisation, among others, vl in latin america is undergo ... | 2013 | 23554910 |
| the efficacy of l. (l.) chagasi excreted-secreted antigens (esas) for visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis is due to low levels of cross-reactivity. | the analysis of promastigote excreted-secreted antigen (esa) reactivity with 53 visceral leishmaniasis (vl) cases showed that each sample reacted regardless of the antigen or the leishmania species used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) displayed 100% positivity with the l. (l.) chagasi esa-blot recognizing bands of molecular weight ranging from 26.5 to 31.5 kda. the analysis of 160 non-visceral cases showed that 5% of the samples cross-reacted with the l. (l.) chagasi esa-elisa and 9 ... | 2013 | 23324219 |
| canine visceral leishmaniasis as a systemic fibrotic disease. | we propose that canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is a systemic fibrotic disease, as evidenced by the wide distribution of fibrosis that we have found in the dogs suffering from chronic condition. the inflammatory cells apparently direct fibrosis formation. twenty-four cases (symptomatic dogs) were identified from a total of one hundred and five cases that had been naturally infected with leishmania chagasi and had been documented during an epidemiological survey of cvl carried out by the metr ... | 2013 | 23419132 |
| evaluation of rk39 rapid diagnostic tests for canine visceral leishmaniasis: longitudinal study and meta-analysis. | there is a need for sensitive and specific rapid diagnostic tests (rdt) for canine visceral leishmaniasis. the aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of immunochromatographic dipstick rdts using rk39 antigen for canine visceral leishmaniasis by (i) investigating the sensitivity of rdts to detect infection, disease and infectiousness in a longitudinal cohort study of natural infection in brazil, and (ii) using meta-analysis to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of rd ... | 2013 | 23326615 |
| determinants for the development of visceral leishmaniasis disease. | leishmaniasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease associated with a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infections. among the most important questions in leishmania research is why some species like l. donovani infect visceral organs, whereas other species like l. major remain in the skin. the determinants of visceral leishmaniasis are still poorly understood, although genomic, immunologic, and animal models are beginning to ... | 2013 | 23300451 |
| performance of lbsap vaccine after intradermal challenge with l. infantum and saliva of lu. longipalpis: immunogenicity and parasitological evaluation. | in the last decade, the search for new vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis has intensified. however, the pattern related to immune protection during long periods after experimental infection in vaccine trials is still not fully understood. herein, we investigated the immunogenicity and parasitological levels after intradermal challenge with leishmania infantum plus salivary gland extract in dogs immunized with a vaccine composed of l. braziliensis antigens plus saponin as an adjuvant ... | 2012 | 23189161 |
| preventing zoonotic canine leishmaniasis in northeastern brazil: pet attachment and adoption of community leishmania prevention. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl), caused by leishmania infantum chagasi (l.i. chagasi syn. infantum) in northeastern brazil, was responsible for 51,000 new vl cases from 1980 to 2003. household presence of l. infantum-infected dogs is a major risk factor for human infection. despite culling of dogs based on seropositivity, canine l. infantum seroprevalence remains near 20%, suggesting that dog culling is ineffective for preventing vl spread. we administered a cross-sectional survey to 224 households ... | 2012 | 22987654 |
| parasite burden in hamsters infected with two different strains of leishmania (leishmania) infantum: "leishman donovan units" versus real-time pcr. | to develop and test new therapeutics and immune prophylaxis strategies for visceral leishmaniasis (vl), understanding tissue parasitism evolution after experimental infection with leishmania infantum is important. experimental infection in a hamster model (mesocricetus auratus) reproduces several typical aspects of canine and human vl that are closely related to the inoculum's route. we quantified the parasitism in the liver and spleen of hamsters experimentally infected by various routes (intra ... | 2012 | 23112869 |
| leishmania metacyclogenesis is promoted in the absence of purines. | leishmania parasites, the causative agent of leishmaniasis, are transmitted through the bite of an infected sand fly. leishmania parasites present two basic forms known as promastigote and amastigote which, respectively, parasitizes the vector and the mammalian hosts. infection of the vertebrate host is dependent on the development, in the vector, of metacyclic promastigotes, however, little is known about the factors that trigger metacyclogenesis in leishmania parasites. it has been generally s ... | 2012 | 23050028 |
| leishmania chagasi in opossums (didelphis albiventris) in an urban area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis, campo grande, mato grosso do sul, brazil. | we investigated the occurrence of leishmania infantum chagasi in didelphis albiventris opossums at a wild animal rehabilitation center in the city of campo grande, brazil. a total of 54 opossums were tested for l. i. chagasi infection in peripheral blood and bone marrow samples. the samples were analyzed by direct examination, culturing in a specific medium, and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. leishmania i. chagasi dna was detected by polymerase chain reaction ... | 2012 | 22802435 |
| cutting edge: brazilian pemphigus foliaceus anti-desmoglein 1 autoantibodies cross-react with sand fly salivary ljm11 antigen. | the environmental factors that contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases are largely unknown. endemic pemphigus foliaceus in humans, known as fogo selvagem (fs) in brazil, is mediated by pathogenic igg4 autoantibodies against desmoglein 1 (dsg1). clusters of fs overlap with those of leishmaniasis, a disease transmitted by sand fly (lutzomyia longipalpis) bites. in this study, we show that salivary ags from the sand fly, and specifically the ljm11 salivary protein, are recognized by fs ... | 2012 | 22798673 |
| immunity to sand fly salivary protein ljm11 modulates host response to vector-transmitted leishmania conferring ulcer-free protection. | leishmania vaccines that protect against needle challenge fail against the potency of a leishmania-infected sand fly transmission. here, we demonstrate that intradermal immunization of mice with 500 ng of the sand fly salivary recombinant protein ljm11 (rljm11) from lutzomyia longipalpis, in the absence of adjuvant, induces long-lasting immunity that results in ulcer-free protection against leishmania major delivered by vector bites. this protection is antibody independent and abrogated by deple ... | 2012 | 22739793 |
| efficacy of combined therapy with liposome-encapsulated meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol in treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis. | an innovative liposomal formulation of meglumine antimoniate (lma) was recently reported to promote both long-term parasite suppression and reduction of infectivity to sand flies in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis. however, 5 months after treatment, parasites were still found in the bone marrow of all treated dogs. in order to improve treatment with lma, the present study aimed to evaluate its efficacy in combination with allopurinol. mongrel dogs naturally infected with leishmania infantum wer ... | 2012 | 22411610 |
| the effect of removing potentially infectious dogs on the numbers of canine leishmania infantum infections in an endemic area with high transmission rates. | to assess the effect of the rapid removal of potentially infectious dogs on the prevalence and incidence of canine infections, a prospective study was undertaken in an area endemic for leishmania infantum. we used serological testing based on the rapid dpp rk28 fusion protein chromatographic immunoassay for this dog screening-and-culling intervention trial. the outcome was evaluated by measuring seropositivity and sero-conversion/-reversion rates for canine infection. our estimates indicated tha ... | 0 | 22665602 |
| leishmania spp. epidemiology of canine leishmaniasis in the yucatan peninsula. | canine leishmaniasis is widespread in various mexican states, where different species of leishmania have been isolated from dogs. in the present study, we describe the detection of l. braziliensis, l. infantum, and l. mexicana in serum of dogs from the states of yucatan and quintana roo in the yucatan peninsula (mexico). a total of 412 sera were analyzed by elisa using the total extract of the parasite and the iron superoxide dismutase excreted by different trypanosomatids as antigens. we found ... | 2012 | 22927792 |
| immunity to protozoan parasites. | | 2012 | 22619699 |
| pharmacology and functions of receptors for vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide: iuphar review 1. | vasoactive intestinal peptide (vip) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (pacap) are members of a superfamily of structurally related peptide hormones that includes glucagon, glucagon-like peptides, secretin, gastric inhibitory peptide (gip) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (ghrh). vip and pacap exert their actions through three gpcrs - pac(1) , vpac(1) and vpac(2) - belonging to class b (also referred to as class ii, or secretin receptor-like gpcrs). this family comprises ... | 0 | 22289055 |
| vaccines for canine leishmaniasis. | leishmaniasis is the third most important vector-borne disease worldwide. visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a severe and frequently lethal protozoan disease of increasing incidence and severity due to infected human and dog migration, new geographical distribution of the insect due to global warming, coinfection with immunosuppressive diseases, and poverty. the disease is an anthroponosis in india and central africa and a canid zoonosis (zvl) in the americas, the middle east, central asia, china, a ... | 2012 | 22566950 |
| maxadilan prevents apoptosis in ips cells and shows no effects on the pluripotent state or karyotype. | pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (pacap) is a structurally endogenous peptide with many biological roles. maxadilan, a 61-amino acid vasodilatory peptide, specifically activates the pacap type i receptor (pac1). although pac1 has been identified in embryonic stem cells, little is known about its presence or effects in human induced pluripotent stem (ips) cells. in the present study, we investigated the expression of pac1 in human ips cells by reverse transcriptase polymerase ch ... | 2012 | 22457805 |
| the development of psychodiella sergenti (apicomplexa: eugregarinorida) in phlebotomus sergenti (diptera: psychodidae). | psychodiella sergenti is a recently described specific pathogen of the sand fly phlebotomus sergenti, the main vector of leishmania tropica. the aim of this study was to examine the life cycle of ps. sergenti in various developmental stages of the sand fly host. the microscopical methods used include scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy of native preparations and histological sections stained with periodic acid-schiff reaction. psychodiella sergenti ... | 2012 | 22313575 |
| leishmania infantum and human visceral leishmaniasis, argentina. | | 0 | 22305425 |
| the transmission of leishmania infantum chagasi by the bite of the lutzomyia longipalpis to two different vertebrates. | sandflies are vectors of leishmania, the causative agent of leishmaniasis in mammalian hosts, including humans. the protozoan parasite is transmitted by the sandfly bite during salivation that occurs at the moment of blood feeding. the components of vector saliva include anticlotting and vasodilatory factors that facilitate blood flow and immunomodulatory factors that inhibit wound healing and quell the immune response. not surprisingly, these factors also play important roles in the establishme ... | 2012 | 22260275 |
| studies on the feeding habits of lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) populations from endemic areas of american visceral leishmaniasis in northeastern brazil. | the aim of this study was to identify potential blood feeding sources of l. (l.) longipalpis specimens from populations in northeastern brazil, endemic areas of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) and its correlation with the transmission of l. (l.) i. chagasi. the elisa technique was applied using bird, dog, goat, opossum, equine, feline, human, sheep, and rodent antisera to analyze 609 females, resulting in an overall positivity of 60%. in all municipalities, females showed higher positivity ... | 2012 | 22315621 |
| a dysflagellar mutant of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis isolated from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient. | parasites of the leishmania genus alternate between the flagellated extracellular promastigote stage and intracellular amastigotes. here we report the characterization of a leishmania isolate, obtained from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient, which presents peculiar morphological features. | 2012 | 22236464 |
| leishmania infantum chagasi in northeastern brazil: asymptomatic infection at the urban perimeter. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is endemic in large cities in brazil, including natal. we determined the prevalence of asymptomatic human infection with leishmania infantum chagasi and associated environmental risks around natal. infection was detected by leishmania skin test (lst) and anti-leishmanial antibodies in humans and anti-leishmanial antibodies in dogs. amongst 345 humans, 24.6% were seropositive, and 38.6% were lst-positive. prevalence of positive serology was similar in both sexes and ac ... | 0 | 22232458 |
| identification of risk areas for visceral leishmaniasis in teresina, piaui state, brazil. | this study used spatial analysis to identify areas at greatest risk of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the urban area of teresina, brazil during 2001-2006. the results from kernel ratios showed that peripheral census tracts were the most heavily affected. local spatial analysis showed that in the beginning of the study period local clusters of high incidence of vl were mostly located in the southern and northeastern parts of the city, but in subsequent years those clusters also appeared in the no ... | 0 | 21540375 |
| species delineation using bayesian model-based assignment tests: a case study using chinese toad-headed agamas (genus phrynocephalus). | species are fundamental units in biology, yet much debate exists surrounding how we should delineate species in nature. species discovery now requires the use of separate, corroborating datasets to quantify independently evolving lineages and test species criteria. however, the complexity of the speciation process has ushered in a need to infuse studies with new tools capable of aiding in species delineation. we suggest that model-based assignment tests are one such tool. this method circumvents ... | 2010 | 20579368 |
| molecular genomic approaches to infectious diseases in resource-limited settings. | | 2009 | 19855820 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in brazil and the impact of the sao francisco river in the speciation of this sand fly vector. | in our recently published article "lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in brazil and the impact of the sao francisco river in the speciation of this sand fly vector" by iliano v. coutinho-abreu et al. a sentence located in paragraph 8 in the discussion section had its meaning altered due to the improper insertion of three words. | 2008 | 18834535 |
| the odor of origin: kinship and geographical distance are reflected in the marking pheromone of male beewolves (philanthus triangulum f., hymenoptera, crabronidae). | pheromones play an important role for mate finding and courtship in many insects. in species where males are the signaling sex, females are expected to choose among potential mates with regard to the emitter's quality and/or genetic compatibility. one important aspect is the balance between negative and positive effects of in- vs. outbreeding. in the present study, we aimed to assess the potential of the territory marking pheromone of european beewolves as an indicator for genetic compatibility ... | 2007 | 17927833 |
| evolution of female preference for younger males. | previous theoretical work has suggested that females should prefer to mate with older males, as older males should have higher fitness than the average fitness of the cohort into which they were born. however, studies in humans and model organisms have shown that as males age, they accumulate deleterious mutations in their germ-line at an ever-increasing rate, thereby reducing the quality of genes passed on to the next generation. thus, older males may produce relatively poor-quality offspring. ... | 2007 | 17895980 |
| maxadilan, a pac1 receptor agonist from sand flies. | in 1991, a potent 61 amino acid vasodilator peptide, named maxadilan, was isolated from the salivary glands of the sand fly. subsequently, it was shown that this peptide specifically and potently activated the mammalian pac1 receptor, one of the three receptors for pacap. these studies and the link between maxadilan and leishmaniasis are discussed. | 2007 | 17681401 |
| a role for adenosine deaminase in drosophila larval development. | adenosine deaminase (ada) is an enzyme present in all organisms that catalyzes the irreversible deamination of adenosine and deoxyadenosine to inosine and deoxyinosine. both adenosine and deoxyadenosine are biologically active purines that can have a deep impact on cellular physiology; notably, ada deficiency in humans causes severe combined immunodeficiency. we have established a drosophila model to study the effects of altered adenosine levels in vivo by genetic elimination of adenosine deamin ... | 2005 | 15907156 |
| impact of the el niño/southern oscillation on visceral leishmaniasis, brazil. | we used time-series analysis and linear regression to investigate the relationship between the annual niño-3 index from 1980 to 1998 and the annual incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the state of bahia, brazil, during 1985-1999. an increase in vl incidence was observed in the post-el niño years 1989 (+38.7%) and 1995 (+33.5%). the regression model demonstrates that the previous year's mean niño-3 index and the temporal trend account for approximately 50% of the variance in the annual in ... | 0 | 12194766 |
| adaptive female choice for middle-aged mates in a lekking sandfly. | most theoretical models of age-related mate choice predict that females should prefer older males because they have proven survival ability. an alternative view is that older males represent inferior mates because of negative genetic correlations between early and late fitness components, or because older males have traded off longevity against other fitness components, have accumulated deleterious germ-line mutations, or are less well adapted to current conditions than more recently born indivi ... | 0 | 10821613 |
| prevalence of american trypanosomiasis and leishmaniases in domestic dogs in a rural area of the municipality of são joão do piauí, piauí state, brazil. | chagas disease and the leishmaniases are endemic zoonoses of great importance to public health in the state of piauí, brazil. the domestic dog (canis familiaris) is a major reservoir, host of trypanosoma cruzi and leishmania spp. in both urban and rural areas, playing an important role in the transmission of these parasites. the present study evaluated the prevalence of both infectious diseases in dogs of a rural area in the municipality of são joão do piauí, piauí state. one hundred twenty-nine ... | 2016 | 27828620 |
| leishmania infantum infection in dogs from the southern region of minas gerais state, brazil. | visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic and chronic disease and dogs are the main reservoir of the etiologic agent, leishmania infantum (syn l. chagasi). a serological and molecular investigation of canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) was performed in the municipality of alfenas, located in the southern region of minas gerais, where the disease is not endemic. samples from 87 dogs were submitted to serological tests including the dual path platform (dpp (r) ) cvl bio-manguinhos rapid test, an in-ho ... | 2016 | 27828616 |
| differences in immune responses against leishmania induced by infection and by immunization with killed parasite antigen: implications for vaccine discovery. | the leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by different species of the protozoan genus leishmania and transmitted by sand fly vectors. they are a major public health problem in almost all continents. there is no effective control of leishmaniasis and its geographical distribution is expanding in many countries. great effort has been made by many scientists to develop a vaccine against leishmaniasis, but, so far, there is still no effective vaccine against the disease. the only way to gener ... | 2016 | 27600664 |
| circulating biomarkers of immune activation, oxidative stress and inflammation characterize severe canine visceral leishmaniasis. | clinical manifestations in canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) have not been clearly associated with immunological status or disease progression. we simultaneously assessed biomarkers of inflammation, immune activation, oxidative stress, and anti-sand fly saliva igg concentrations in dog sera with different clinical manifestations to characterize a biosignature associated with cvl severity. in a cross-sectional exploratory study, a random population of 70 dogs from an endemic area in brazil was ... | 2016 | 27595802 |
| crosstalk between purinergic receptors and lipid mediators in leishmaniasis. | leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting millions of people around the world caused by organisms of the genus leishmania. parasite escape mechanisms of the immune system confer the possibility of resistance and dissemination of the disease. a group of molecules that has become a target for leishmania survival strategies are lipid mediators. among them, leukotriene b4 (ltb4) has been described as a pro-inflammatory molecule capable of activating cells of the immune system to combat ... | 2016 | 27595742 |
| impact of lbsapsal vaccine in canine immunological and parasitological features before and after leishmania chagasi-challenge. | dogs represent the most important domestic reservoir of l. chagasi (syn. l. infantum). a vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) would be an important tool for decreasing the anxiety related to possible l. chagasi infection and for controlling human visceral leishmaniasis (vl). because the sand fly salivary proteins are potent immunogens obligatorily co-deposited during transmission of leishmania parasites, their inclusion in an anti-leishmania vaccine has been investigated in past d ... | 2016 | 27556586 |
| visceral leishmaniasis in the state of sao paulo, brazil: spatial and space-time analysis. | to perform both space and space-time evaluations of visceral leishmaniasis in humans in the state of sao paulo, brazil. | 2016 | 27533364 |
| two in one: cryptic species discovered in biological control agent populations using molecular data and crossbreeding experiments. | there are many examples of cryptic species that have been identified through dna-barcoding or other genetic techniques. there are, however, very few confirmations of cryptic species being reproductively isolated. this study presents one of the few cases of cryptic species that has been confirmed to be reproductively isolated and therefore true species according to the biological species concept. the cryptic species are of special interest because they were discovered within biological control ag ... | 2016 | 27648231 |
| canine-based strategies for prevention and control of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a zoonosis found worldwide. its incidence has increased in brazil in recent years, representing a serious public and animal health problem. the strategies applied in brazil are questionable and are not sufficient to control the disease. thus, we have compared the efficacy of some of the currently available strategies focused on dogs to prevent and control zoonotic vl in endemic areas by optimizing a mathematical model. the simulations showed that the elimination of ... | 2016 | 27471852 |
| comparison of optical microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction for estimating parasitaemia in patients with kala-azar and modelling infectiousness to the vector lutzomyia longipalpis. | currently, the only method for identifying infective hosts with leishmania infantum to the vector lutzomyia longipalpis is xenodiagnosis. more recently, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qpcr) has been used to model human reservoir competence by assuming that detection of parasite dna indicates the presence of viable parasites for infecting vectors. since this assumption has not been proven, this study aimed to verify this hypothesis. the concentration of amastigotes in the peripheral bloo ... | 0 | 27439033 |
| human and canine visceral leishmaniasis in an emerging focus in araçuaí, minas gerais: spatial distribution and socio-environmental factors. | this study aimed to analyse the spatial distribution of human (2007-2013) and canine (2013) visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the city of araçuaí, minas gerais, brazil, and identify the socio-environmental factors related to their occurrence. the spatial distribution of human and canine cases was analysed by kernel density estimation (kde) and the k function. the kde values were analysed for correlation between human and canine lv and for normalised difference vegetation index (ndvi). socio-environ ... | 0 | 27384080 |
| far beyond phagocytosis: phagocyte-derived extracellular traps act efficiently against protozoan parasites in vitro and in vivo. | professional mononuclear phagocytes such as polymorphonuclear neutrophils (pmn), monocytes, and macrophages are considered as the first line of defence against invasive pathogens. the formation of extracellular traps (ets) by activated mononuclear phagocytes is meanwhile well accepted as an effector mechanism of the early host innate immune response acting against microbial infections. recent investigations showed evidence that etosis is a widely spread effector mechanism in vertebrates and inve ... | 2016 | 27445437 |
| the site of the bite: leishmania interaction with macrophages, neutrophils and the extracellular matrix in the dermis. | leishmania spp., the causative agents of leishmaniasis, are intracellular parasites, transmitted to humans via the bite of their sand fly vectors. once inoculated, the promastigotes are exposed to the dermis, which is composed of extracellular matrix (ecm), growth factors and its resident cells. promastigote forms are phagocytosed by macrophages recruited to the site of the sand fly bite, either directly or after interaction with neutrophils. since leishmania is an intracellular parasite, its in ... | 2016 | 27146515 |