Leishmania braziliensis: partial control of experimental infection by interleukin-12 p40 deficient mice
Resistance to infection by Leishmania major has been associated with the development of a Th1 type response that is dependent on the presence of interleukin 12 (IL-12). In this work the involvement of this cytokine in the response to infection by L. braziliensis, a less virulent species in the mouse model, was evaluated. Our results show that while interferon (IFN<FONT FACE=Symbol>-g</FONT>) deficient (-/-) mice inoculated L. braziliensis develop severe uncontrolled lesions, chronic lesions that remained under control up to 12 weeks of infection were observed in IL-12p40 -/- mice. IL 12p40 -/- mice had fewer parasites in their lesions than IFN<FONT FACE=Symbol>-g</FONT>-/- mice. Lymph node cells from IL-12p40 -/- were capable of producing low but consistent levels of IFN<FONT FACE=Symbol>-g</FONT> suggestive of its involvement in parasite control. Furthermore, as opposed to previous reports on L. major-infected animals, no switch to a Th2 response was observed in IL-12p40 -/- infected with L. braziliensis.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde
2004
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762004000300009 |
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