Aluminium: a natural adjuvant in Leishmania transmission via sand flies?

Genetically identical Leishmania chagasi/infantum parasites cause both atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. In this report we have tested the first part of a hypothesis that states that the form of this disease that is manifested depends upon the adjuvant-like activity of aluminium of dietary origin accumulated in the salivary gland of the sand fly vector. In sand flies fed aluminium-supplemented sucrose we have used histochemistry to qualitatively identify aluminium in their salivary glands and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry to quantify the aluminium content of dissected salivary glands. Aluminium may be acting as a natural adjuvant in some forms of leishmaniasis.