AUTHOR=de Freitas Elisangela Oliveira , Leoratti Fabiana Maria de Souza , Freire-de-Lima Célio Geraldo , Morrot Alexandre , Feijó Daniel Ferreira 

TITLE=The Contribution of Immune Evasive Mechanisms to Parasite Persistence in Visceral Leishmaniasis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2016.00153

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2016.00153

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Leishmania</italic> is a genus of protozoan parasites that give rise to a range of diseases called Leishmaniasis that affects annually an estimated 1.3 million people from 88 countries. <italic>Leishmania donovani</italic> and <italic>Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi</italic> are responsible to cause the visceral leishmaniasis. The parasite can use assorted strategies to interfere with the host homeostasis to establish persistent infections that without treatment can be lethal. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms involved in the parasite subversion of the host protective immune response and how alterations of host tissue physiology and vascular remodeling during VL could affect the organ-specific immunity against <italic>Leishmania</italic> parasites.</p>