Genetic variant strains of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis exhibit distinct biological behaviors

A variety of clinical forms of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis, as well as differing immune responses of patients, have been reported for an ACL focus in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In addition, two genetic profiles of L. braziliensis have been described, of which one variant profile (hsp70-variant) has been associated with atypical lesions. We investigated the biological behavior of genetic variant strains of L. braziliensis isolated from patients with different clinical manifestations of ACL. Experimental infections were performed with golden hamsters for five L. braziliensis strains in standardized doses of 1 × 106 parasites per inocula. The characteristics of skin lesions, histopathological features, and parasite burden were independently analyzed at 30 and 60 days post-infection. The data revealed distinct patterns in the onset time of visible skin lesions as well as in lesion size and parasite burden among the strains. The extent and density of the inflammatory infiltrate differed among strains, although cellular composition of granulomas appeared similar. Multivariate analysis indicated the occurrence of two clusters: one comprising native strains (cluster 1) and one comprising the reference strain (cluster 2). Within cluster 1, the genetic variants of L. braziliensis did not group with the non-variant strain suggesting that the distinct patterns of biological behavior of these strains could be associated with the known genetic diversity previously described for them.