Comparison of Bacterial Burden and Cytokine Gene Expression in Golden Hamsters in Early Phase of Infection with Two Different Strains of Leptospira interrogans.

ABSTRACT: Leptospirosis, a zoonotic infection with worldwide prevalence, is caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of Leptospira spp., and exhibits an extremely broad clinical spectrum in human patients. Although previous studies indicated that specific serovars or genotypes of Leptospira spp. were associated with severe leptospirosis or its outbreak, the mechanism underlying the difference in virulence of the various Leptospira serotypes or genotypes remains unclear. The present study addresses this question by measuring and comparing bacterial burden and cytokine gene expression in hamsters infected with strains of two L. interrogans serovars Manilae (highly virulent) and Hebdomadis (less virulent). The histopathology of kidney, liver, and lung tissues was also investigated in infected hamsters. A sign

SUBMITTER: Fujita R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4492770 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature