Leishmania lesions affect nasal mucosa in rhesus monkey model.

2004 FEB 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists describe the Leishmania chronic granulomatous cutaneous lesions that affect the nasal mucosa in a rhesus monkey model.

"The present studies on infections with Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis in rhesus macaques were made to characterize the evolution of different parasite strains and the immune responses they elicited in this experimental host. A standardized inoculum of promastigotes was injected intradermally either above the eyelid or on the forearm of each monkey. Sixteen infected monkeys developed longstanding infections which lasted until the end of the observation period (33 months)," investigators in Brazil report.

"The time required for lesion development was very variable, not only for the isolates showing molecular differences but also for individual animals in groups infected with the same parasite strain," stated A. Teva and colleagues at the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. "The inocula produced lesions of variable severity, ranging from localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with a tendency to spontaneous healing to non-healing disease. One infected animal developed persistent metastatic skin and mucosal lesions. Anti-Leishmania antibodies and parasite-specific T-cell responses were induced by the experimental infections." ...