Cross immunity & Leish

[felix j. tapia]

Regarding mail from Dr. Fernando J. Andrade Narvaez,
Dear Fernando,
The experience in Venezuela, specifically at the Instituto de
Biomedicina, using Dr.
Convit's scheme of heat-killed promastigotes and BCG, has been carried
out for years
using L.(L.) mexicana antigens. This scheme confers protection to
patients from endemic areas where L.(V.) braziliensis is the solely
parasite. Most of the ‘leishmanin’ used in Venezuela is generated from
L.(L.)mexicana.
The use of L.braziliensis in vaccines has been objected by the many
grant-giving bodies on the ground that it may induce mucosal lesions. In
addition, if one argues that gp63 is a fairly good protective antigen,
there is a plethora of evidences (Steve Reed’s, Phil Scott’s, etc.)
showing that this molecule is well preserved in all Leishmania
parasites, and may be used in inducing cross immunity.
Finally, I recomend a paper by Mayrink et al. published in Mem Inst.
Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 91:695-697, 1996, where dogs
suffering from L.chagasi are vaccinated using L.(V.)braziliensis.
Hope, this note if of any use,
Best personal regards,
Felix J. Tapia


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Felix J. Tapia  ftapia at telcel.net.ve
Lab. Biología Molecular
Instituto de Biomedicina
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Apartado 4043, Caracas 1010A, Venezuela
Telf. (582)838277 (directo/fax), (582)8625326, Ext. 4232
Beeper 7310711, clave 00442
Fax (582)8611258

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