Generalized infection and lack of delayed hypersensitivity in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania tropica major.
The susceptibility of a few strains of mice to a subcutaneous injection of Leishmania tropica major, the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans, was studied. The infection in six strains (CBA, AKR/J, AKR/cu, C57BL/6, A/J, and C3H) remained cutaneous, and the animals recovered within 3 to 4 months. In contast, the infection in BALB/c became generalized and killed 1005 of infected animals. Intraperitoneal injection of infected liver of BALB/c to A/J and syngeneic mice produced a lethal disease in BALB/c but no infection in A/J mice. Lower doses of the parasite produced a lethal infection in BALB/c but no apparent disease in A/J. Hence, the host rather than the parasite is responsible for the outcome of the disease. The peak antibody titer of BALB/c mice was not significantly higher than that of A/J mice. However, BALB/c failed to show any delayed hypersensitivity to leishmania tested by footpad reaction, whereas A/J mice showed a strong response.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology*; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity