Modulation of murine cellular immune response and cytokine production by salivary gland lysate of three sand fly species
Abstrakt
Saliva of sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) plays an important role in transmission of Leishmania parasites by modulating host immune response. However, because of the different protein compositions of saliva, the immunomodulatory effects may vary among sand fly species.
We have therefore analysed the immunomodulation effects of salivary gland lysate (SGL) of three different sand flies. Spleen cells from BALB/c mice were incubated with SGL of Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti or Lutzomyia longipalpis.
Concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation was suppressed with SGLs of all three sand fly species and all SGL doses tested. SGL also markedly inhibited IFN-gamma production in all intervals tested (reduced up to 31%) and to a lesser degree impaired production of the IL-2 and IL-4.
Despite some species-specific differences in the intensity of immunomodulatory effects, saliva of all sand fly species modulated cell proliferation as well as cytokine production in a similar way.