Degree of anemia correlates with increased utilization of heme by Leishmania donovani parasites in visceral leishmaniasis.

Abstract

Anemia in kala-azar patients is a serious problem. The present study has addressed this problem with the hypothesis that as the Leishmania parasite is completely devoid of heme biosynthetic pathway, therefore the excessive use of heme by the parasites in the human patients can be one of the possible reason of anemia. We investigated that whether, the inability of Leishmania donovani to synthesize heme, can enforce Leishmania parasite to utilize heme derived from host sources in Indian KA patients. Patients had higher tendency of their macrophages to bind with Hb which was pronounced after sensitization with drug resistant Leishmania strain compared to sensitive.

• Authors: Ajit K Thakur, Sanjiva Bimal, Subhankar K Singh, Anil K Gupta, V N R Das, Pradeep Das, Shyam Narayan
• Journal: Experimental parasitology (Exp Parasitol) Vol. 135 Issue 3 Pg. 595-8 (Nov 2013) ISSN: 1090-2449 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24076432 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antigens, CD
• Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic
• CD163 antigen
• Hemoglobins
• Receptors, Cell Surface
• Heme

Topics

• Anemia (parasitology)
• Antigens, CD (metabolism)
• Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic (metabolism)
• Female
• Heme (metabolism)
• Hemoglobins (metabolism)
• Humans
• Leishmania donovani (metabolism)
• Leishmaniasis, Visceral (complications, metabolism, parasitology)
• Macrophages (metabolism)
• Male
• Receptors, Cell Surface (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Severity of Illness Index