title: Leishmania infection and neuroinflammation: Specific chemokine profile and absence of parasites in the brain of naturally-infected dogs.
abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis is a chronic disease caused by Leishmania infantum. We aimed to detect the parasite in the brain of fifteen naturally-infected dogs using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and the gene expression of selected chemokines by RT-qPCR. We detected no parasite in the brain, but perivascular deposition of parasite DNA and IgG in the choroid plexus. We noticed up-regulation of CCL-3, CCL-4 and CCL-5, coherent with T lymphocyte accumulation, stating the brain as a pro-inflammatory environment. Indeed, not necessarily the parasite itself, but rather its DNA seems to act as a trigger to promote brain inflammation during visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Patologia Aplicada (LApap), Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: gdiasdem@pasteur.fr.
authors.forename: Guilherme D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Patologia Aplicada (LApap), Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Eduardo S
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Patologia Aplicada (LApap), Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Grano
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milena S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Patologia Aplicada (LApap), Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: giselem@fmva.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Gisele F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Machado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines
keywords: Central nervous system; Chemokine CCL3; Chemokine CCL4; Chemokine CCL5; T lymphocytes; Visceral leishmaniasis