The World Today
MADRID, 21 (EUROPA PRESS)
Research from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) reveals that studying extracellular plasma vesicles, structures containing genetic and protein material released by cells, could facilitate the identification of prognostic biomarkers in visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected infectious disease that can be fatal if not detected and treated effectively.
Visceral leishmaniasis is caused by protozoa of the Leishmania family and is characterized by chronic fever, enlarged spleen and liver, and pancytopenia. It is particularly prevalent in immunosuppressed patients, particularly those coinfected with HIV and in people with immunosuppression induced by biological treatments such as TNF antagonists (anti-TNF). The disease is primarily transmitted through the bite of sandflies, which act as vectors for the parasite.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology and conducted by a team from the ISCIII (National Institute of Microbiology) at the National Center for Microbiology (CNM), analyzed the impact of anti-TNF immunosuppressive therapy on the progression of visceral leishmaniasis and the efficacy of antiparasitic treatment with pentavalent antimonials, using a mouse model. Two of the lead authors of the study are Eugenia Carrillo and Javier Moreno, from the CNM-ISCIII.
To conduct this research, proteomics techniques were used to study extracellular vesicles from the plasma of mice infected with Leishmania infantum. This work continues a line of research by the ISCIII team into the effect of different immunosuppressive drugs on the immune response in this disease and their impact on the efficacy of its treatment.
The results obtained in the now published study reveal that mice treated with anti-TNF developed a higher parasitic burden in the liver and a weakened immune response. A significant decrease was also observed in various proteins originating from plasma extracellular vesicles, whose functions are key in liver regeneration, inflammatory response, and defense against infections.
Following treatment with pentavalent antimonials, only a partial reduction in parasite load was achieved in the immunosuppressed group of animals, accompanied by an increase in other proteins whose overexpression could favor parasite persistence.
The authors of the study explain that these findings demonstrate that immunosuppression with anti-TNF not only worsens the disease, but also profoundly alters the protein profile of extracellular vesicles, affecting biological pathways essential for recovery and treatment efficacy.
They conclude, "These results underscore the importance of tailoring clinical strategies to each case in immunosuppressed patients, and position extracellular vesicles as a promising tool for identifying prognostic biomarkers and optimizing the therapeutic management of visceral leishmaniasis."
