title: Neurological disease in human and canine leishmaniasis--clinical features and immunopathogenesis.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is a vectorborne disease caused by Leishmania protozoa, which is a major health problem and a neglected disease common in many regions of the world. Leishmania is an intracellular parasite transmitted by sand flies that causes clinical manifestations ranging from a severe and potentially fatal disease named visceral leishmaniasis to less severe but in many cases disfiguring diseases that mainly affect the skin or mucosal tissues, known as cutaneous leishmaniasis. Despite the detection of Leishmania parasites in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of human patients and dogs, epidemiological data, as well as information about the mechanisms of central and peripheral nervous system alterations, are poorly described. This review is focused on the current knowledge about the neurological manifestations and immunopathogenic mechanisms in human patients and animals infected with Leishmania.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Science Post-graduation Program, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.|Neuroscience and Cellular Biology Post-graduation Program, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: C S F
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Science Post-graduation Program, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.|Neuroscience and Cellular Biology Post-graduation Program, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gavioli
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Cellular Biology Post-graduation Program, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience and Cellular Biology Post-graduation Program, Health Science Institute, Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: P R T
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Romão
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000469:parasitology*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Leishmania chagasi; brain; dogs; inflammation; nervous tissue; neurological alterations