title: Infection of retinal epithelial cells with L. amazonensis impacts in extracellular matrix proteins.
abstract: One of the manifestations of leishmaniases is eye injuries which main characteristics are the injury of the anterior chamber of the eye and the resistance to specific treatments. The retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells participate in pathogen-induced intraocular inflammatory processes. We investigated Leishmania amazonensis-RPE cells relationship and its impact in laminin and fibronectin production. Using RPE cell (ARPE-19), we demonstrated that L. amazonensis adhere to these cells in the first hour of infection, whereas parasite internalization was only observed after 6 h. Seventy-two hours after infection, vacuoles with parasites debris were observed intracellularly, and no parasite were observed intra- or extracellularly at the 96 h, suggesting that Leishmania can infect ARPE-19 cells although this cells are able to clear the infection. Fibronectin and laminin were associated with L. amazonensis-ARPE-19 interaction. Confocal analysis showed no substantial alterations in fibronectin presence in ARPE-19-infected or ARPE-19-noninfected cells, whereas laminin levels increased three times 10 h after L. amazonensis infection. After this time, laminin levels decreased in infected cells. These results suggest that L. amazonensis-ARPE-19 infection induces increased production of laminin in the beginning of infection which may facilitate parasite-host cell interactions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil, 4635-Pavilhão 108, CEP 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. calabrese@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Kátia da Silva
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Leandro de Souza
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Luiz Otávio Pereira
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Daiana de Jesus
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hardoim
authors.forename: Mariana da
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Silva-Almeida
authors.forename: Renato Arruda
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mortara
authors.forename: Celeste da Silva Freitas de
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins