Scabies mite peritrophins are potential targets of human host innate immunity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pruritic scabies lesions caused by Sarcoptes scabiei burrowing in the stratum corneum of human skin facilitate opportunistic bacterial infections. Emerging resistance to current therapeutics emphasizes the need to identify novel targets for protective intervention. We have characterized several protein families located in the mite gut as crucial factors for host-parasite interactions. Among these multiple proteins inhibit human complement, presumably to avoid complement-mediated damage of gut epithelial cells. Peritrophins are major components of the peritrophic matrix often found in the gut of arthropods. We hypothesized that a peritrophin, if abundant in the scabies mite gut, could be an activator of complement.

Methodology/principal findings

A novel full length

SUBMITTER: Mika A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3181238 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature