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Recombinant C-Reactive Protein: A Potential Candidate for the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis of BALB/c Mice Caused by Leishmania major

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Abstract

Purpose

Leishmaniasis, a widespread parasitic disease, is a public health concern that is endemic in more than 90 countries. Owing to the drug resistance and also undesirable complications, designing new therapeutic methods are essential. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein of plasma with several immune modulatory functions. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of human recombinant CRP (hrCRP) on treating cutaneous leishmaniasis in mice models.

Methods

hrCRP was expressed in E. coli Rosetta-gami and extracted from the SDS-PAGE gel. Male BALB/c mice were inoculated subcutaneously at the base of their tails by 1 × 105 stationary-phase of Leishmania major promastigotes (MHRO/IR/75/ER) suspended in sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Nodules and subsequently, ulcers developed 14 days post-injection. 1.5 µg of the purified protein was administered on lesions of pre-infected mice by Leishmania major in the intervention group for five consecutive days.

Results

The mean area of the lesions was decreased by about seven folds in the intervention group as compared to the control group after two weeks of the treatment (p = 0.024). The results were verified by the real-time polymerase chain reaction so that the parasite burden was determined 27 times in the control group as compared to the intervention group (p = 0.02). Two weeks after treatment, the conversion of the lesions to scars in the intervention group was observed.

Conclusion

The results indicate a potential therapeutic role for hrCRP in improving cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in mice models. The healing was in a stage-dependent manner.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran (Grant No. 397345 dated 2018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezarjerib Street, 8174643446, Isfahan, Iran

    Seyedeh Noushin Zahedi, Mahdieh Sarmadi, Mahsa Rahimi & Hossein Khanahmad

  2. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Seyed Hossein Hejazi

  3. Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Maryam Boshtam

  4. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Healthy Aging, Medical Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Farahnaz Amini

  5. Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Hossein Fazeli

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  1. Seyedeh Noushin Zahedi
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Correspondence to Hossein Khanahmad.

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Ethical approval

Animal maintenance and injections were performed in the animal facility of Medicine School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, according to the university guidelines for animal care (IR.MUI.MED.REC.1397.365).

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Zahedi, S.N., Hejazi, S.H., Boshtam, M. et al. Recombinant C-Reactive Protein: A Potential Candidate for the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis of BALB/c Mice Caused by Leishmania major. Acta Parasit. 66, 53–59 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-020-00251-w

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