C-reactive protein binds leishmanial excreted factors.

Excreted factors from Leishmania tropica and Leishmania donovani are precipitated by human and rabbit C-reactive protein. The reaction is calcium dependent and appears to be similar to that reported to occur between C-reactive protein and various galactans. The absence of phosphate and N-acetyl galactosamine suggests that the reaction is not the result of any similarity of the excreted factors to pneumococcal C-polysaccharide.