Fig. 5.

Immunization with KSAC/MPL-SE protects mice from L. infantum and L. major challenge. (A) In experiment 1, C57BL/6 mice were immunized with saline, MPL-SE alone, or the indicated vaccine and challenged with L. infantum. The number of parasites in each liver was measured by limiting dilution 4 weeks after the infection. In experiment 2, C57BL/6 mice were immunized with saline or KSAC plus MPL-SE and challenged with L. infantum. The numbers of parasites in both the liver and spleen were measured by limiting dilution 4 weeks after the infection. (B) BALB/c mice immunized with saline or KSAC/MPL-SE were challenged with L. major intradermally in both the right and left ears. Lesion sizes of mice immunized with saline (○) or KSAC/MPL-SE (•) were measured every week up to 8 weeks, at which time the parasite numbers in the ear lesions were determined by limiting dilution. Means and SEM of data for five or six mice in each group are shown. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001 by unpaired t test compared with the saline group. These data are representative of at least three independent experiments with similar results.