Models of relapse of experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
To establish models for studying recurrence of visceral leishmaniasis, a growing problem in T cell-deficient patients, two approaches were investigated: treatment of euthymic BALB/c mice with quiescent Leishmania donovani infection with T cell-depleting or anti-cytokine antibodies and serial observation of acutely infected nude BALB/c mice after an initial antileishmanial response induced by amphotericin B treatment. In chronically infected euthymic mice, maintenance of acquired immunity and prevention of relapse required CD4 cells and a multicytokine-dependent mechanism involving endogenous interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Acutely infected nude mice responded to amphotericin B with a > or = 85% reduction in liver parasite burdens; however, after a brief lag, visceral infection readily recurred in the posttreatment period. Both models may be useful for testing experimental interventions designed to reduce relapse of previously controlled visceral leishmaniasis in T cell-deficient hosts.
Murray
H W
HW
Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Hariprashad
J
J
Fichtl
R E
RE
D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000469:parasitology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology*; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors