TY - JOUR
T1 - Non-ulcerative cutaneous lesion in immunodeficient mice with Leishmania amazonensis infection
AU - Kuramochi, Takashi
AU - Hatabu, Toshimitsu
AU - Ito, Mamoru
AU - Ueyama, Yoshihito
AU - Kawazu, Shin Ichiro
AU - Onodera, Takashi
AU - Matsumoto, Yoshitsugu
PY - 1999/3/1
Y1 - 1999/3/1
N2 - Cutaneous leishmaniasis begins as papules or nodules at the site of promastigote inoculation. The next key pathogenic event in this disease is the formation of an ulcer at this site. Leishmania infection in immunodeficient mice, however, showed non-ulcerative cutaneous lesions suggesting the involvement of the immune system in ulcer formation. Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID), recombination-activating gene 2 knockout (RAG-2(-/-)), and immunocompetent mice were inoculated subcutaneously with cultured L. amazonensis promastigotes. Macroscopic nodules appeared at the inoculation site within 2 weeks of infection in all the mice and gradually extended to the surrounding skin tissue. Although nodules of immunocompetent mice ulcerated within 6 weeks, immunodeficient mice did not form ulcers even after 25 weeks of inoculation. These results strongly suggest the importance of functional T and B cells in ulcer formation of cutaneous leishmaniasis and are consistent with clinical features of non-ulcerative cutaneous leishmaniasis in some AIDS patients. The present study also indicates that the L. amazonensis-infected immunodeficient mouse model might be suitable for studying the mechanisms of ulcer formation in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
AB - Cutaneous leishmaniasis begins as papules or nodules at the site of promastigote inoculation. The next key pathogenic event in this disease is the formation of an ulcer at this site. Leishmania infection in immunodeficient mice, however, showed non-ulcerative cutaneous lesions suggesting the involvement of the immune system in ulcer formation. Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID), recombination-activating gene 2 knockout (RAG-2(-/-)), and immunocompetent mice were inoculated subcutaneously with cultured L. amazonensis promastigotes. Macroscopic nodules appeared at the inoculation site within 2 weeks of infection in all the mice and gradually extended to the surrounding skin tissue. Although nodules of immunocompetent mice ulcerated within 6 weeks, immunodeficient mice did not form ulcers even after 25 weeks of inoculation. These results strongly suggest the importance of functional T and B cells in ulcer formation of cutaneous leishmaniasis and are consistent with clinical features of non-ulcerative cutaneous leishmaniasis in some AIDS patients. The present study also indicates that the L. amazonensis-infected immunodeficient mouse model might be suitable for studying the mechanisms of ulcer formation in cutaneous leishmaniasis.
KW - Immunodeficient mice
KW - Leishmania
KW - Non-ulcerative lesion
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U2 - 10.1016/S1383-5769(98)00040-3
DO - 10.1016/S1383-5769(98)00040-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 11269325
AN - SCOPUS:0033103975
VL - 48
SP - 47
EP - 53
JO - Parasitology International
JF - Parasitology International
SN - 1383-5769
IS - 1
ER -