Western blot analysis of Leishmania infantum antigens using sera from pentamidine-treated dogs

Saadia Lasri1, Hamid Sahibi, Amale Natami

  • 1Département de Parasitologie et Maladies Parasitaires, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan-II, B.P. 6202, Rabat, Morocco.

Pentamidine treatment has been used successfully to establish immune cellular responses in recovered dogs. In this paper, we examined the appearance and disappearance of antibodies over time against crude Leishmania antigens and purified gp63 or gp70 proteins in sera from cured dogs using a Western blotting technique. Following the treatment, a pattern of antibody specificities to parasite antigens was observed in the sera of cured dogs. Antibodies to gp63 and gp70 were maintained after cure. In addition, the reaction with a 26 kD band observed during the clinical phase was no longer recognized by sera taken from recovery dogs. Interestingly, two proteins, 85 and 110 kD, not observed during the patent phase were detected by sera taken from treated dogs. Such patterns of antibody specificities to various parasite antigens might represent a useful parameter to determine the actual phase of the disease process.

Related Concept Videos

Western Blotting01:15

Western Blotting

Western blotting is an analytical technique for protein identification. It has various applications in immunology and medicine, including detecting diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy, mad cow disease, and human and feline immunodeficiency virus from biological samples.
The technique begins with separating proteins from the sample using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), followed by protein transfer, immunoblotting, and finally, protein detection.
Leishmaniasis01:30

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. The parasite exists in two principal morphological forms during its life cycle. A sandfly acquires intracellular amastigotes from an infected reservoir host, such as a dog. Within the sandfly, these forms differentiate into motile, flagellated promastigotes. During a subsequent blood meal, promastigotes are injected into the human host, where they...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...