Leishmania infantum amastigotes trigger a subpopulation of human B cells with an immunoregulatory phenotype.

ABSTRACT: Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan parasites Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani. This infection is characterized by an uncontrolled parasitization of internal organs which, when left untreated, leads to death. Disease progression is linked with the type of immune response generated and a strong correlation was found between disease progression and serum levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10. Other studies have suggested a role for B cells in the pathology of this parasitic infection and the recent identification of a B-cell population in humans with regulatory functions, which secretes large amounts of IL-10 following activation, have sparked our interest in the context of visceral leishmaniasis. We report here that incubation of human B cells with Leishman

SUBMITTER: Andreani G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4339978 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature