title: Immunopathological studies of Leishmania amazonensis infection in resistant and in susceptible mice.
abstract: Leishmania amazonensis infection was studied in mice to evaluate the evolution of leishmaniasis. The association of different methods, such as lesion kinetics, limiting dilution analysis, and immunohistochemistry, established different levels of susceptibility and resistance. Mice were arranged in 3 groups: susceptible (C57BL/10 and CBA), relatively resistant (DBA/2), and resistant (C3H.He). The histopathological analysis of primary lesions and draining lymph nodes showed a predominance of eosinophils and mast cells in the initial phase of infection in all mice. However, the most susceptible mice presented a greater number of amastigotes and higher tissue damage. The immunoglobulin analysis showed that susceptible mice produced high levels of antibodies, whereas resistant and relatively resistant mice exhibited low production of antibodies. Resistant mice showed parasite persistency in the skin and lymph nodes, suggesting that the infection in these mice can be sustained through the infection of cells such as dendritic cells, fibroblasts, and other cells present in these organs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Cardoso
authors.forename: Celeste da Silva Freitas
authors.initials: Cda S
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Verônica Gonçalves
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Abreu-Silva
authors.forename: Sylvio Celso
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gonçalves da Costa
authors.forename: Kátia da Silva
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Calabrese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan