Diagnostic lipid changes in patients with visceral leishmaniasis

Data Independent Acquisition Reveals In-Depth Serum Proteome Changes in Canine Leishmaniosis

Comprehensive profiling of serum proteome provides valuable clues of health status and pathophysiological processes, making it the main strategy in biomarker discovery. However, the high dynamic range significantly decreases the number of detectable proteins, obstructing the insights into the underlying biological processes. To circumvent various serum enrichment methods, obtain high-quality proteome wide information using the next-generation proteomic, and study host response in canine leishmaniosis, we applied data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) for deep proteomic profiling of clinical samples. The non-depleted serum samples of healthy and naturally Leishmania-infected dogs were analyzed using the label-free 60-min gradient sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS) method. As a result, we identified 554 proteins, 140 of which differed significantly in abundance. Those were included in lipid metabolism, hematological abnormalities, immune response, and oxidative stress, providing valuable information about the complex molecular basis of the clinical and pathological landscape in canine leishmaniosis. Our results show that DIA-MS is a method of choice for understanding complex pathophysiological processes in serum and serum biomarker development.

Highlighting the interplay of microRNAs from Leishmania parasites and infected-host cells

Leishmania parasites, the causative agents of leishmaniasis, are protozoan parasites with the ability to modify the signalling pathway and cell responses of their infected host cells. These parasite strategies alter the host cell environment and conditions favouring their replication, survival and pathogenesis. Since microRNAs (miRNAs) are able to post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression processes, these biomolecules can exert critical roles in controlling Leishmania-host cell interplay. Therefore, the identification of relevant miRNAs differentially expressed in Leishmania parasites as well as in infected cells, which affect the host fitness, could be critical to understand the infection biology, pathogenicity and immune response against these parasites. Accordingly, the current review aims to address the differentially expressed miRNAs in both, the parasite and infected host cells and how these biomolecules change cell signalling and host immune responses during infection. A deep understanding of these processes could provide novel guidelines and therapeutic strategies for managing and treating leishmaniasis.