Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar(KA) is a disease of the reticuloendothelial system caused by obligate intracellular parasite, Leishmania spp. (L. donovani, L. chagasi, L. infantum). The infective promastigotes invade the macrophages and convert into aflagellar amastigotes that survive and proliferate within the macrophages leading to progressive infection. To ensure its survival within a cell that is armed to kill invaders, Leishmania is known to downregulate macrophage activation leading to suppressed T cell function. The present study was undertaken with the objective to identify...