Vaccination with leishmanial Ag and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) confers sustained cellular immunity and protection to infectious challenge up to 6 mo after immunization. To define the cellular mechanism by which CpG ODN mediate their adjuvant effects in vivo, the functional capacity of distinct dendritic cell (DC) subsets was assessed in the lymph nodes (LNs) of BALB/c mice, 36 h after immu...

The genus Leishmania includes 30 described species which infect a wide variety of mammalian hosts. The precise identification of leishmanial parasites at the species level is very important in order to determine whether an organism, causing the disease in a given area, is of the same biotype as that found in suspected mammalian reservoirs. The objectives of the present study were (1) to identif...

BACKGROUND Successful therapy of leishmaniasis depends on effective cellular immune response. We evaluated the effectiveness of sodium selenite and zinc sulphate as known immunomodulator materials, in combination with Glucantime® in treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions resulting from Leishmania major in susceptible animal model. METHODS Thirty three female mice weighing 18-20 g at the...

Ring opening of phthalic anhydride has been carried out in acetic acid with glycine, b-alanine, L-phenylalanine, and 4-aminobenzoic acid to yield, respectively, 2-{[(carboxymethyl)amino]carbonyl}benzoic acid (I), 2-{[(2carboxyethyl)amino]carbonyl}benzoic acid (II), 2-{[(1-carboxy-2-phenylethyl)amino]carbonyl}benzoic acid (III), and 2[(4-carboxyanilino)carbonyl]benzoic acid (IV). Compounds I-IV ...

BACKGROUND Three major forms of human disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, are caused by several leishmanial species whose geographic distribution frequently overlaps. These Leishmania species have diverse reservoir hosts, sand fly vectors and transmission patterns. In the Old World, the main parasite species responsible for leishmaniasis are...

Quantitation of the nonlinear heterogeneities in Leishmania parasites, sand fly vectors, and mammalian host relationships provides insights to better understand leishmanial transmission epidemiology towards improving its control. The parasite manipulates the sand fly via production of promastigote secretory gel (PSG), leading to the "blocked sand fly" phenotype, persistent feeding attempts, and...

INTRODUCTION To determine the immunostimulatory potential of crude extracts of Warburgia ugandensis subsp. ugandensis with a soluble leishmanial antigen in vaccinating BALB/c mice. METHODS Seventy two female BALB/c mice were randomly assigned into six groups. The mice were vaccinated with soluble leishmania antigens (SLA) alone, hexane, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane extract co-administer...

Several serology-based immunoassays are used to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a chronic protozoan parasitic disease caused by the Leishmania donovani complex. These tests are primarily designed to diagnose the most severe clinical form of VL, known as kala-azar. However, leishmanial infection is frequently asymptomatic and may manifest only as a positive serologic response or positive l...

An atypical case of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated mucocutaneous lesions due to Leishmania braziliensis is described. Many vacuolated macrophages laden with amastigote forms of the parasite were found in the lesions. Leishmanin skin test and serology for leishmaniasis were both negative. The patient was resistant to therapy with conventional drugs (antimonial and amphotericin B)....

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is endemic as a major infectious disease in the tropical and subtropical countries, is caused by a protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. At present, restricted treatment options and lack of vaccines intensify the problem of controlling VL. Therefore, finding a novel immunoprophylactic or therapeutic principle is a pressing need. Here, we report that arabinos...