title: Leishmanization revisited: immunization with a naturally attenuated cutaneous Leishmania donovani isolate from Sri Lanka protects against visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania protozoa and associated with three main clinical presentations: cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Visceral leishmaniasis is the second most lethal parasitic disease after malaria and there is so far no human vaccine. Leishmania donovani is a causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in South East Asia and Eastern Africa. However, in Sri Lanka, L. donovani causes mainly cutaneous leishmaniasis, while visceral leishmaniasis is rare. We investigate here the possibility that the cutaneous form of L. donovani can provide immunological protection against the visceral form of the disease, as a potential explanation for why visceral leishmaniasis is rare in Sri Lanka. Subcutaneous immunization with a cutaneous clinical isolate from Sri Lanka was significantly protective against visceral leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Protection was associated with a mixed Th1/Th2 response. These results provide a possible rationale for the scarcity of visceral leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka and could guide leishmaniasis vaccine development efforts.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura-Isobel
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: Wen-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shanlindra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranasinghe
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matlashewski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008875:Middle Aged; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D054332:Leishmaniasis Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated