title: Leishmania infection: painful or painless?
abstract: The complex life cycle and immunopathological features underpinning the interaction of Leishmania parasites and their mammalian hosts poses frequent poorly explored and inconclusively resolved questions. The altered nociceptive signals over the course of leishmaniasis remain an intriguing issue for nociceptive and parasitology researchers. Experimental investigations have utilized behavioral, morphological, and neuro-immune approaches in the study of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The data generated indicates new venues for the study of the pathological characteristics of nociceptive processing in this parasitic disease. Leishmania-induced pain may be easily observed in mice and rats. However, nociceptive data is more complex in human investigations, including the occurrence of painless lesions in mucocutaneous and cutaneous leishmaniasis. Data from recent decades indicate that humans can also be affected by pain-related symptoms, often distinct from the region of body infection. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying such variable nociceptive states in humans during the course of leishmaniasis are an active area of research. The present article reviews nociception in leishmaniasis, including in experimental models of CL and clinical reports.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivete
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Conchon-Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Phileno
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinge-Filho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wander R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Pavanelli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Patológicas, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid PR445 KM380, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil. waldiceujr@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Waldiceu A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Verri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000502:physiology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology / Q000523:psychology*; D059225:Nociception; D059226:Nociceptive Pain / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Pain; Tropical parasitic disease