title: Early mechanisms of Leishmania infection in human blood.
abstract: In human blood, promastigotes bind natural antibodies and activate the classical complement pathway. C3-opsonized promastigotes immune-adhere within seconds to erythrocytes. Promastigote lysis by complement parallels C3 deposition kinetics, and ~90% of promastigotes are killed after 2.5 min. During infection, complement thus exerts strong selective pressure on Leishmania. Paradoxically, promastigote adaptation to the host immune adherence mechanism may provide the parasite a key to invasion.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Inmunología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aizpurua
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toraño
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical / Q000276:immunology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D009895:Opsonin Proteins