Protein Malnutrition Impairs the Immune Response and Influences the Severity of Infection in a Hamster Model of Chronic Visceral Leishmaniasis

Abstract

Leishmaniasis remains one of the world's most devastating neglected tropical diseases. It mainly affects developing countries, where it often co-exists with chronic malnutrition, one of the main risk factors for developing the disease. Few studies have been published, however, on the relationship between leishmaniasis progression and malnutrition. The present paper reports the influence of protein malnutrition on the immune response and visceral disease development in adult hamsters infected with Leishmania infantum fed either standard or low protein diets. The low protein diet induced severe malnutrition in these animals, and upon infection with L. infantum 33% had severe visceral leishmaniasis compared to only 8% of animals fed the standard diet. The infected, malnourished animals showed notable leukocyte depletion, mild specific antibody responses, impairment of lymphoproliferation, presence of parasites in blood (16.67% of the hamsters) and significant increase of the splenic parasite burden. Animals fed standard diet suffered agranulocytosis and monocytopenia, but showed stronger specific immune responses and had lower parasite loads than their malnourished counterparts. The present results show that protein malnutrition promotes visceral leishmaniasis and provide clues regarding the mechanisms underlying the impairment of the immune system.

Experimental immunology The influence of vitamin B 12 supplementation on the level of white blood cells and lymphocytes phenotype in rats fed a low-protein diet

“…Both short and long time of protein deprivation disrupt some blood parameters (e.g. decreased hemoglobin level, MCV, MCH), impair immune functions and increase sensitivity to infections [ 6 , 19 , 20 ].…”

The neurosurgical wound and factors that can affect cosmetic, functional, and neurological outcomes

“…which further leads to secondary damage to an already injured CNS . Protein malnutrition impairs the immune systems response and results in a decreased ability to produce antibodies and cytokines . Protein energy malnutrition can impair the proliferation of CD8 T lymphocytes responsible for suppressing infection .…”

“…48,49 Protein malnutrition impairs the immune systems response and results in a decreased ability to produce antibodies and cytokines. 50,51 Protein energy malnutrition can impair the proliferation of CD8 T lymphocytes responsible for suppressing infection. 52 In the neurosurgical patient, a superficial wound infection can have potentially catastrophic complications, such as meningitis.…”

Potential role of zinc in the visceromegaly regression and recovery of hematological parameters during treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in children from an endemic area

“…Although literature suggests predominance of the disease in male gender 19 , our data are in accordance with the results of Queiroz et al 's study 20 , who found the same distribution of the disease between children of both genders. An important risk factor of severe VL is malnutrition 21 . In this study, most of the recruited patients had normal nutritional status based on the weight-for-age indicator in the WHO growth charts ( Table 1 ).…”