Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How miR 21 weakens dog immune response to Leishmania infection
By Melo, Larissa Martins et al.·Published in PloS one·2019·Department of Animal Clinic, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Induction of miR 21 impairs the anti-Leishmania response through inhibition of IL-12 in canine splenic leukocytes.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with Leishmania (a parasite that causes a serious disease called visceral leishmaniasis) showed a weakened immune response. Researchers found that a specific microRNA called miR 21 was elevated in these dogs, which seemed to hinder their ability to fight off the infection. By using a treatment to lower the levels of miR 21, the dogs had an improved immune response, with increased levels of a helpful cytokine called IL-12 and a reduction in the parasite load. This suggests that targeting miR 21 could be a potential new treatment approach for dogs suffering from this disease.
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Abstract
Visceral Leishmaniasis is a chronic zoonosis and, if left untreated, can be fatal. Infected dogs have decreased cellular immunity (Th1) and develop a potent humoral response (Th2), which is not effective for elimination of the protozoan. Immune response can be modulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), however, characterization of miRNAs and their possible regulatory role in the spleen of infected dogs have not been done. We evaluated miRNA expression in splenic leukocytes (SL) from dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum and developing leishmaniasis (CanL; n = 8) compared to healthy dogs (n = 4). Microarray analysis showed increased expression of miR 21, miR 148a, miR 7 and miR 615, and downregulation of miR 150, miR 125a and miR 125b. Real-time PCR validated the differential expression of miR 21, miR 148a and miR 615. Further, decrease of miR 21 in SL, by means of transfection with a miR 21 inhibitor, increased the IL-12 cytokine and the T-bet/GATA-3 ratio, and decreased parasite load on SL of dogs with CanL. Taken together, these findings suggest that L. infantum infection alters splenic expression of miRNAs and that miR 21 interferes in the cellular immune response of L. infantum-infected dogs, placing this miRNA as a possible therapeutic target in CanL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31825987/