Human immune response to sand fly salivary gland antigens: a useful epidemiological marker?

Human immune response to sand fly salivary gland antigens: a useful epidemiological marker?

Antibody (IgG) responses to salivary gland homogenate and to a recombinant salivary protein from the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis were investigated using sera from children living in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. We classified children into four groups according to their responses to Leishmania antigen: (Group I) positive serology and positive delayed type hypersensitiv...

Salivary gland homogenates of the sand fly Phlebotomus

insects and ticks. Perhaps for this reason a variety of salivary anti-hemostatic compounds are found in this diverse group of arthropods. Many different salivary anti-clotting and antiplatelet agents and vasodilators have been described. Salivary vasodilators range from inorganic nitric oxide to prostaglandins, various different peptides and enzymes that destroy norepinephrine. Several anti-clo...

The Immune Response to Sand Fly Salivary Proteins and Its Influence on Leishmania Immunity

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by bites of phlebotomine sand flies. During Leishmania transmission, sand fly saliva is co-inoculated with parasites into the skin of the mammalian host. Sand fly saliva consists of roughly thirty different salivary proteins, many with known roles linked to blood feeding facilitation. Apart from the anti-hemostatic capacity of saliva, several ...

Sand fly saliva & host immune response

Immunity to Distinct Sand Fly Salivary Proteins Primes the Anti-Leishmania Immune Response towards Protection or Exacerbation of Disease

BACKGROUND Leishmania parasites are transmitted in the presence of sand fly saliva. Together with the parasite, the sand fly injects biologically active salivary components that favorably change the environment at the feeding site. Exposure to bites or to salivary proteins results in immunity specific to these components. Mice immunized with Phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland homogenate (SGH) ...