title: Distinct immunity in patients with visceral leishmaniasis from that in subclinically infected and drug-cured people: implications for the mechanism underlying drug cure.
abstract: Significant levels of IgG3 and IgG4 and high levels of IgG1 leishmania-specific antibody differentiated the immune states in 10 patients with visceral leishmaniasis from those of virtually all 20 drug-cured and 18 subclinically infected subjects, whereas the level of IgG2 antibody was nondiscriminating. The most extreme "subclinically infected" outlier subsequently developed disease. Overall, the immune states in subclinically infected and drug-cured persons were mutually indistinguishable but were readily distinguished from those of patients. These findings may have implications for the immunologic mechanism underlying drug cure in visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hailu
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berhe
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gedamu
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hassard
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kager
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olobo
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bretscher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000967:Antimony Sodium Gluconate