In order to study a possible role of DNA methylation in the modulation of host cell response upon infection with L. donovani, we determined host gene expression of five selected genes (CDC42EP3, LARS2, HDAC4, ADPRHL1, IRAK2) annotated to CpG sites that show a variable methylation pattern between live promastigote infected- and control macrophage DNA samples. The gene discussed is IRAK2; the disease is infection.