The immunology of susceptibility and resistance to Leishmania major in mice.
Established models of T-helper-2-cell dominance in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major -- involving the early production of interleukin-4 by a small subset of Leishmania-specific CD4+ T cells -- have been refined by accumulating evidence that this response is not sufficient and, under some circumstances, not required to promote susceptibility. In addition, more recent studies in L. major-resistant mice have revealed complexities in the mechanisms responsible for acquired immunity, which necessitate the redesign of vaccines against Leishmania and other pathogens that require sustained cell-mediated immune responses.
Sacks
David
D
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. dsacks@nih.gov
Noben-Trauth
Nancy
N
D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4