Persistence of Leishmania antigen in C57Bl/6j inbred mice infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.
OBJECTIVE
To develop an animal model for studying mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.


METHODS
The hind footpad of C57Bl/6j inbred mice was experimentally infected with 10(7) Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigote and the skin was studied through light and electron transmission microscopy and immunohistochemistry (PAP) techniques.


RESULTS
There were morphological evidences of cellular immune mechanisms and hypersensitivity reaction after eight weeks of infection and metastasis and well shaped parasites at ultrastructural level by fifty-one weeks post infection. Relapse of infection with mucosa lesions occurred around the 50th week after inoculation.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of this animal model in long term follow up could be an useful experimental model for human mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.
Vasconcellos
C
C
Department of Dermatology, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo.
Kauffman
M R
MR
Sotto
M N
MN
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology*; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan