Spontaneous Healing of Mycobacterium ulcerans Lesions in the Guinea Pig Model.

ABSTRACT: Buruli Ulcer (BU) is a necrotizing skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans infection. BU is characterized by a wide range of clinical forms, including non-ulcerative cutaneous lesions that can evolve into severe ulcers if left untreated. Nevertheless, spontaneous healing has been reported to occur, although knowledge on this process is scarce both in naturally infected humans and experimental models of infection. Animal models are useful since they mimic different spectrums of human BU disease and have the potential to elucidate the pathogenic/protective pathway(s) involved in disease/healing. In this time-lapsed study, we characterized the guinea pig, an animal model of resistance to M. ulcerans, focusing on the macroscopic, microbiological and histological evolution throughout the

SUBMITTER: Silva-Gomes R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4666642 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature