查看文章

Nine vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) were infected intradermally with 8 × 10⁷ virulent L. donovani promastigotes. Four animals developed clinical visceral leishmaniasis and died over a period of 18 months. The remaining five animals have remained asymptomatic for a period of 3 years now. Attempts to isolate parasites from spleen and liver through biopsies were fruitless. Immunological respotises of these subclinically infected animals were examined. Enzyme‐linked itnmunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot analyses demonstrated Leishmania specific antibodies in these animals, but the antibody titres were low. When proliferation of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) to Con‐cunavalin A (Con A) of these animals was compared with control ‘disease free animals’ there were no significant differences iti response. However L. donovani antigen (fixed promastigotes) specific proliferation was …