Plasma superoxide dismutase-1 as a surrogate marker of vivax malaria severity.

Background: Severe outcomes have been described for both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax infections. The identification of sensitive and reliable markers of disease severity is fundamental to improving patient care.

Leishmania braziliensis: partial control of experimental infection by interleukin-12 p40 deficient mice.

Resistance to infection by Leishmania major has been associated with the development of a Th1 type response that is dependent on the presence of interleukin 12 (IL-12). In this work the involvement of this cytokine in the response to infection by L. braziliensis, a less virulent species in the mouse model, was evaluated.