author(s)
Hanadi J Al-Zubaidi and Inam B Falih

abstract
The total numbers of animals in the experimental 40 mice of both sexes divided into 2 groups: The first group (30 mice) was immunized with lactoferrin orally with a dose of 0.25mg/10g (B.w.) in a volume of 0.1 ml daily for 10 days and then challenged with L. major. The 2nd group (10 mice) were non-immunized serve as a positive control. Then each group sacrificed by chloroform overdosing and blood was collected to measure serum IgG through by using ELISA Kit (mouse IgG Elisa Kite). The IgG levels were measured both in mice immunized with lactoferrin and in healthy controls and the results were then compared with each other. In our study, IgG levels were significantly higher in sera than in sera of the control group (P<0.001) in the mean values of the group that immunized by lactoferrin which was (3.378±0.171) as compared with control group (PBS) (0.282±0.035). The pathological lesion varied between moderate acanthosis with slight basal cells degeneration together with dermal blood vessels dilation accompanied by neutrophils in their lumen, as well as proliferation of dermal collagen fiber in another section MNCs infiltration with few PMNs leukocytes mainly around hair follicle. Another section, the upper dermis showed collagen fibers proliferation.