Impairment of the human phagocyte oxidative responses caused by Leishmania lipophosphoglycan (LPG): in vitro studies.

Lipophosphoglycan (LPG), a surface glycoconjugate of Leishmania promastigotes, has been reported as playing an active role in protecting the parasite within phagolysosomes, by an impairment of monocyte oxidative responses. In this study the effect of LPG on the oxidative burst of human peripheral monocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils was evaluated. Our results demonstrated that either superoxide anion (O2-) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) release by LPG-pretreated cells was diminished, emphasizing the ability of this glycoconjugate to impair the oxidative activity of all phagocytes.