Ageing impairs protective immunity and promotes susceptibility to murine visceral leishmaniasis.

ABSTRACT: It is well accepted that the impact of diseases is generally more detrimental in elderly individuals than in younger ones. Changes in the immune system due to ageing can directly affect the ability to respond effectively to infections and may contribute to the higher morbidities and mortalities in the elderly population. Leishmaniasis is a complex of clinically unique diseases caused by obligate intracellular protozoa belonging to genus Leishmania, wherein visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form and is fatal if left untreated. In this study, aged mice (72 weeks old) presented increased susceptibility to L. infantum infection compared to younger mice (4–6-week-old), with notable parasitism in both the spleen and liver, as well as exhibiting hepatosplenomegaly. A pr

SUBMITTER: Loureiro Salgado C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11010576 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature