title: Immune response and protection in mice inoculated with Leishmania amazonensis clones expressing different degrees of virulence.
abstract: The induction of protective immunity to Leishmania amazonensis was investigated by injection of parasite clones of low and medium virulence into susceptible mice. To this end, L. amazonensis were cloned by limiting dilution and the clones' virulence was evaluated by the course of infection in susceptible mice. Clones originally derived from the spleen showed virulence variations in comparison with that of the parental population (PP) of parasites. Two low-virulence clones (SP 5 and SP 20) and one medium-virulence clone (SP 11), representative of the spectrum of derived clones, were compared with virulent parasites and with an avirulent strain (Josefa) as to their ability to induce T-cell immune responses and to protect BALB/c mice from infection with the virulent L. amazonensis PP. Clone SP 20 and clone SP 11 induced partial protection when injected by the intravenous and intradermal route, respectively. The avirulent Josefa strain induced neither T-cell responses nor protection. Low-virulence L. amazonensis clones can therefore be additional tools in vaccine investigation.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Immunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: da Fonseca
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vallochi
authors.forename: G de C
authors.initials: Gde C
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.forename: I de A
authors.initials: Ide A
authors.lastname: Abrahamsohn
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan