Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
Virulence. 2011 Nov-Dec;2(6):547-52. doi: 10.4161/viru.2.6.17839. Epub 2011 Nov 1.
Infection by the human protozoan parasite Leishmania can lead, depending primarily on the parasite species, to either cutaneous or mucocutaneous lesions, or fatal generalized visceral infection. In the New World, Leishmania (Viannia) species can cause mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). Clinical MCL involves a strong hyper-inflammatory response and parasitic dissemination (metastasis) from a primary lesion to distant sites, leading to destructive metastatic secondary lesions especially in the nasopharyngal areas. Recently, we reported that metastasizing, but not non-metastatic strains of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis, have high burden of a non-segmented dsRNA virus, Leishmania RNA Virus (LRV). Viral dsRNA is sensed by the host Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) thereby inducing a pro-inflammatory response and exacerbating the disease. The presence of LRV in Leishmania opens new perspectives not only in basic understanding of the intimate relation between the parasite and LRV, but also in understanding the importance of the inflammatory response in MCL patients.
人类原生动物寄生虫利什曼原虫的感染可导致皮肤或粘膜病变，或致命的全身性内脏感染，具体取决于寄生虫的种类。在新大陆，利什曼原虫（Viannia）种可引起粘膜皮肤利什曼病（MCL）。临床 MCL 涉及强烈的超炎症反应和寄生虫从原发性病变向远处部位的扩散（转移），导致破坏性转移性继发性病变，特别是在鼻咽区域。最近，我们报道了转移性但非转移性利什曼原虫（Viannia）圭亚那菌株具有高负担的非节段双链 RNA 病毒，即利什曼 RNA 病毒（LRV）。病毒双链 RNA 被宿主 Toll 样受体 3（TLR3）感知，从而诱导促炎反应并加重疾病。利什曼原虫中 LRV 的存在不仅为深入了解寄生虫与 LRV 之间的密切关系提供了新的视角，而且为理解炎症反应在 MCL 患者中的重要性提供了新的视角。
