T Foxp3 + detection in spleen tissue from Leishmania infected dogs.

• Grant number: 11/17784-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: January 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Marçal Felix de Lima
• Grantee: Vanessa Oliveira Santana
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a anthropozoonosis caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania that infect man and dog. VL is transmitted by the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia species. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), considered the main domestic reservoirs are of great importance in maintaining the disease cycle. In Brazil, the American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) is a serious public health problem because of its wide geographical distribution, a large number of cases and severity of its clinical forms. In leishmaniasis, the immune response effective in eliminating the parasite is mediated by cells. However, what is observed in leishmaniasis is a decrease in the specific cellular immune response. Treg lymphocytes work by suppressing autoimmune responses in vivo through the production of cytokines that inhibit a response of the immune cellular type. The purpose of this study will quantify the Treg cells present in the spleen and in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania and compare to that observed in healthy dogs, to evaluate the participation of these cells in immune regulation in infection. These knowledgment will lead to new targets for immunotherapeutics or vaccine.