The severity of disease caused by infection with Leishmania major depends critically on the genetics of the host. Early induction of T helper (Th) 1-type immune responses in the resistant C57BL/6 mice and Th2-type responses in the susceptible BALB/c mice are thought to determine cure or disease, respectively. We have previously mapped three host response loci in a genetic cross between C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, and here we show definitively the involvement of these loci in disease severity using animals congenic for each of the loci. Surprisingly, in the late stage of infection when the difference in disease severity between congenic and parental mice was most pronounced, their cytokine profile correlated with the genetic background of the mice and not with the severity of disease. This indicates that the loci that we have mapped are acting by a mechanism independent of Th phenotype. © 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Research Group:	Clinical sciences
Research Field:	Infectious diseases
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Thomson, Russell (Dr Russell Thomson)
UTAS Author:	Foote, SJ (Professor Simon Foote)
ID Code:	35034
Year Published:	2004
Web of Science® Times Cited:	86
Deposited By:	Menzies Centre
Deposited On:	2005-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-24
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