Cytokine expression in the ear dermis following immunization with nucleosomal histones and challenge with <i>L. braziliensis</i> plus sand fly saliva.

<p>BALB/c mice (5 per group) were immunized with rDNA (A) or with rDNA/rProtein+CpG (B). Two weeks after the last immunization, mice were challenged with <i>L. braziliensis</i>+sand fly saliva. Relative quantification of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 at the infection site was carried out five weeks after infection. Cytokine cycle threshold (C_t) values were normalized to GAPDH expression (housekeeping) as determined by ΔC_t = C_{t (cytokine)} – C_{t (GAPDH)}. Fold change was determined by real-time PCR, using the 2^–ΔΔCt method, where ΔΔC_t = ΔC_{t (experimental)} – ΔC_{t (control)} (see Materials and Methods). Data (mean+SEM) are presented as fold increase in gene expression of immunized mice over control mice and are from two independent experiments.