Publications

flow cytometric determination of cellular sources and frequencies of key cytokine-producing lymphocytes directed against recombinant lack and soluble leishmania antigen in human cutaneous leishmaniasis.	leishmaniasis, caused by infection with the protozoan parasite leishmania, affects millions of individuals worldwide, causing serious morbidity and mortality. this study directly determined the frequency of cells producing key immunoregulatory cytokines in response to the recombinant antigen leishmania homolog of receptors for activated kinase c (lack) and soluble leishmania antigen (sla), and it determined relative contributions of these antigens to the overall cytokine profile in individuals i ...	2001	11292745
[effect of intralesional treatment with emetine hydrochloride on leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in hamsters].	the therapeutic effect of the emetine hydrochloride alkaloid administered intralesionally was compared with that of standard parenteral treatment with glucantime in outbred male hamsters experimentally infected with 4 x 10(3) amastigotes of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. both chemotherapeutic agents reduced significantly (p < 0.01) the average lesion sizes in experimental animals in comparison with those untreated. the alkaloid infiltration was found to be as effective as the antimonial inje ...	2001	11294031
comparison of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis and l. (v.) guyanensis in brazil: clinical findings and diagnostic approach.	we compared the clinical findings and diagnostic methods for 66 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of bahia, brazil, who were infected by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis (group a), with those for 68 patients in the state of amazonas, brazil, who were mainly infected by leishmania (viannia) guyanensis (group b). differences were observed with regard to number, size, and location of skin lesions and to the pattern of lymphatic involvement. patients in group b had smaller and more ...	2001	11303265
use of dna-based diagnostic methods for human leishmaniasis in minas gerais, brazil.	dna hybridisation was used to type 26 samples from lesions of human patients from the rio doce valley (minas gerais, brazil) clinically diagnosed as having cutaneous leishmaniasis, using kinetoplast dna (kdna) cloned mini-circle probes specific for the leishmania mexicana and leishmania braziliensis complexes. all samples were found to belong to the l. braziliensis complex. when biopsies were pressed directly onto touch blot membranes 38.5% of the samples were positive. the positivity and specif ...	2001	11311189
effect of lutzomyia whitmani (diptera: psychodidae) salivary gland lysates on leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infection in balb/c mice.	previous reports showed that lutzomyia longipalpis saliva exacerbate leishmania braziliensis infection in mice. the sand fly lu. whitmani is one of the vectors of l. (viannia) braziliensis (lvb), a causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of ceará, brazil. to determine whether saliva of lu. whitmani could increase the infectivity of lvb in mice, we inoculated groups of balb/c mice with lvb promastigotes in the presence or absence of the salivary glands lysate from lu. whitmani. we ...	2001	11313642
nuclear dna sequence specific to leishmania (viannia) subgenus: a molecular marker for species identification.	as shown by rflp analysis, there is a high variability in the beta-tubulin gene region of leishmania sp. such variability has been used in the identification of these parasites, establishing differences between subgenera of new world leishmania. we have found a region of 500 bp (beta500) upstream of the coding region of the beta-tubulin gene that is present in all strains tested belonging to the l. (viannia) subgenus. this region apparently is a repetitive sequence and we have shown that it is s ...	2001	11315173
american cutaneous leishmaniasis in guyana, south america.	the 185 patients who presented at the dermatology clinic of georgetown public hospital, guyana, between 1992 and 1998, with skin ulcers indicative of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) were retrospectively reviewed. the laboratory-confirmed cases of acl were identified and the corresponding data were analysed for risk factors such as age, gender, areas of residence and of possible exposure to the causative agent (leishmania braziliensis guyanensis), ethnic origin, longevity of the ulcers, an ...	2001	11339884
dynamics of the antibody response in patients with therapeutic or spontaneous cure of american cutaneous leishmaniasis.	the antigen specificity and the level of the antibody response were analysed in perambuco state, brazil, in sera collected in 1995-96 from 58 patients with clinical american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl), 25 acl patients with apparent cure after chemotherapy with meglumine antimonate, and 10 acl patients with spontaneous cure. assessment was by immunoblot analysis, elisa and indirect immunofluorescence, with leishmania (viannia) braziliensis antigens, with a particular interest in evaluating whe ...	2001	11355562
in vitro and in vivo leishmanicidal activity of 2-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone (lapachol).	this study aims to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo leishmanicidal activity of lapachol, a naphthoquinone found in the seeds and heartwood of certain tropical plants, and to compare its efficacy with a reference drug, sodium stibogluconate (pentostam(r)). these compounds (0.0125-4.0 mg/ml) were evaluated in vitro against intracellular amastigotes of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis (lvb), then tested in an animal model (hamster) to try to reproduce the leishmanicidal activity. in vitro, lapach ...	2001	11180522
distribution of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) at different altitudes in an endemic region of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of espírito santo, brazil.	the involvement of different sand fly species in the transmission of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) at different altitudes was evaluated in the municipality of afonso cláudio in the state of espírito santo, brazil, from november 1995 to february 1997. cdc light traps and shannon traps baited with human volunteers were hung simultaneously at three altitudes of a river valley: (a) 650-750 m in an area of active acl transmission; (b) 750-850 m in a transitional area; and (c) 850-950 m in an ...	2001	11784923
epidemiological studies of an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the rio jequitinhonha valley, minas gerais, brazil.	we detected an outbreak of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the jequitinhonha river valley, minas gerais, brazil. clinical and epidemiological aspects were studied for a period of two years. data include results of physical examinations, montenegro skin test and serology. in total 72 of the 299 individuals evaluated presented active lesions. only one case out of these 72 patients showed the mucosal form of the disease. the precarious sanitary conditions, low educational level and low income f ...	2002	11801221
pcr-based diagnosis of acute and chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (viannia).	we evaluated pcr methods for diagnosis of acute and chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) in an area of colombia where leishmania (viannia) is endemic. the pcr method specifically amplified whole linearized minicircle kinetoplast dna (kdna) of the leishmania subgenus viannia from biopsy lysates. pcr products were detected in agarose gels. for 255 acute cases, this pcr method had greater sensitivity (75.7%) than each conventional method, i.e., microscopic examination of giemsa-stained lesion scrap ...	2002	11825977
usefulness of sampling with cotton swab for pcr-diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the new world.	in this study, we tested the polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-method to diagnose cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) by taking exudate materials from lesions with cotton swabs, using our previously tested (pcr) panel comprised of leishmania (viannia) panamensis, l. (v.) braziliensis, l. (v.) guyanensis, l. (leishmania) mexicana and l. (l.) amazonensis. the objectives of the present study were to improve the sampling method convenient for the patients and to test the usefulness of samples taken with cott ...	2002	11835896
t-cell-mediated immune responses in patients with cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis: long-term evaluation after therapy.	t-cell immune responses in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ml) were studied during the active disease, at the end of therapy, and 1 to 17 years posttherapy (long-term follow-up). lymphocyte proliferative responses, phenotypic characterization of cd4(+) and cd8(+) leishmania-reactive t cells, and cytokine production were assayed. patients with active ml and cl showed higher proportions of cd4(+) than cd8(+) t cells. in cl, the healing process was associated w ...	2002	11874860
leishmaniasis: recognition and management with a focus on the immunocompromised patient.	leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease whose clinical manifestations depend both on the infecting species of leishmania and the immune response of the host. transmission of the disease occurs by the bite of a sandfly infected with leishmania parasites. infection may be restricted to the skin in cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl), to the mucous membranes in mucosal leishmaniasis or spread internally in visceral leishmaniasis (vl). in the last 2 decades, leishmaniasis, especially vl, has been recognized a ...	2002	11893221
american cutaneous leishmaniasis.	we present 3 cases of american cutaneous leishmaniasis occurring in soldiers of a unit of us army rangers who parachuted into the jungles of panama. shortly after returning to the united states, these 3 soldiers each developed a crusted, indurated papule, which slowly enlarged during the following 6 weeks. routine microscopy of skin biopsies revealed a dermal granulomatous inflammation and a predominantly lymphoid infiltrate. numerous histiocytes contained small oval organisms with bar-shaped pa ...	2002	11900576
identification of antigenically distinct populations of leishmania (viannia) guyanensis from manaus, brazil, using monoclonal antibodies.	eighty leishmania isolates from patients who contracted cutaneous leishmaniasis in the manaus region, amazonas state, brazil, were identified as leishmania (viannia) guyanensis by the electrophoretic profiles of six enzymes. none reacted with the species-specific monoclonal antibody b19. two l. (v.) guyanensis subpopulations were detected with the monoclonals b2 and b12. the lack of b19 expression by the l. (v.) guyanensis strains in the present study contrasts with that of the vast majority of ...	2002	11904100
pcr detection of specific leishmania-dna in patients with periodontal disease.	this study deals with the detection of leishmania braziliensis dna in gingival specimens from 10 individuals who all had suffered from cutaneous leishmaniasis 5-10 years prior to the examination and all had been treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs. this preliminary study gives an interesting contribution to the oral microbiology of this disease, with the observation that inflamed periodontal tissues can serve as a factor affecting the dispersion of leishmania parasites in individuals who had s ...	2002	11912876
leishmania (viannia) spp. dissemination and tissue tropism in naturally infected dogs (canis familiaris).	first evidence is presented for leishmania (viannia) spp. dissemination and tissue tropism in the domestic dog. using pcr and histology, parasites were detected in the conjunctiva, lung, lymph nodes and ovaries of 2 naturally infected peruvian dogs. the detection of parasites in the blood indicates that parasite dissemination to those organs may have been haematogenous.	2002	11926001
an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis among soldiers in belém, pará state, brazil, caused by leishmania (viannia) lindenbergi n. sp. a new leishmanial parasite of man in the amazon region.	eight cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis are recorded among soldiers of the brazilian forest infantry stationed in belém, state of pará, north of brazil. the infections, all acquired during manoeuvres in nearby degraded primary forest, are attributed to a new member of the subgenus viannia, leishmania (v.) lindenbergi n. sp. a further infection by this parasite was encountered in a woman, who lived very close to the same piece of forest. the new parasite has been characterised and differentiated f ...	2002	11938695
gender is a major determinant of the clinical evolution and immune response in hamsters infected with leishmania spp.	in regions where leishmaniasis is endemic, clinical disease is usually reported more frequently among males than females. this difference could be due to disparate risks of exposure of males and females, but gender-related differences in the host response to infection may also play a role. experimental studies of the influence of gender on leishmania infection have not included parasites of the subgenus viannia, which is the most common cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the americas. mice are ...	2002	11953362
biogenesis of leishmania-harbouring parasitophorous vacuoles following phagocytosis of the metacyclic promastigote or amastigote stages of the parasites.	protozoan parasites leishmania alternate between a flagellated promastigote form and an amastigote form. in their mammalian hosts, leishmania survive and multiply in macrophages. both forms can be internalized by these host cells at different stages of the infectious process and eventually establish themselves within parasitophorous vacuoles exhibiting phagolysosomal properties. to determine whether the biogenesis of these organelles differs according to the parasitic stage used to initiate infe ...	2002	12006615
unusual manifestations of leishmaniasis in renal transplant.		2002	12009605
cutaneous leishmaniasis in kidney transplant recipient.		2002	12009606
epidemiologic and immunologic findings for the subclinical form of leishmania braziliensis infection.	the epidemiologic and immunologic findings for 104 subjects with subclinical leishmania braziliensis infection were compared with those for 29 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) from the same area of endemicity. subjects had a positive leishmania skin test result and remained asymptomatic during the next 4 years of follow-up were considered to have subclinical infection. patients with cl were younger, had larger-diameter indurations after skin testing, and were more likely to have positi ...	2002	12015707
cotton rats (sigmodon hispidus) and black rats (rattus rattus) as possible reservoirs of leishmania spp. in lara state, venezuela.	a total of 519 wild animals belonging to eleven species were collected during a two year study in a cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area in venezuela (la matica, lara state). the animals were captured in home-made tomahawk-like traps baited with maize, bananas or other available local fruits, and parasites were isolated from 27 specimens. two different species were found naturally infected with flagellates, i.e., cotton rats (sigmodon hispidus) and black rats (rattus rattus). characterization of ...	2002	12016437
frequency of infection of lutzomyia phlebotomines with leishmania braziliensis in a brazilian endemic area as assessed by pinpoint capture and polymerase chain reaction.	leishmania infected of lutzomyia spp. are rare in endemic areas. we tested the hypothesis that there is clustering of infected vectors by combining pinpoint capture with sensitive l. braziliensis kdna minicircle specific pcr/dot blot in an endemic area in the state of bahia. thirty out of 335 samples (10 to 20 sand flies/sample; total of 4,027 female sand flies) were positive by pcr analysis and dot blot leading to a underestimated overall rate of 0.4% positive phlebotomines. however, 83.3% of t ...	2002	12016439
failure of early treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in preventing the development of an ulcer.	the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome were determined for 26 patients who presented with early-stage cutaneous leishmaniasis. illness duration ranged from 8 to 20 days, and the commonest clinical presentation was the presence of a papule with small central crust on a lower extremity. prominent regional adenopathy was found in 22 (85%) of 26 patients. the results of an intradermal skin test for leishmania were positive for 96% of those patients, and results of serologic testing were ...	2002	12032913
[vertical stratification of phlebotomine sandfly fauna (diptera, psychodidae) in a primary non-flooded forest of the central amazon, amazonas state, brazil].	studies on the vertical stratification of phlebotomine sandfly fauna were conducted in a non-flooded primary forest at a tropical forest experimental station of the national institute of amazonian research from october 1998 to march 1999. cdc light traps were placed at one, 10, and 20 meters above ground. a total of 2,859 sandflies were captured, belonging to the lutzomyia (99.93%) and brumtomyia (0.07%) genera, represented by 38 species. in the lutzomyia gender, the most frequent sub-gender was ...	2002	12048608
cloning and molecular characterization of the cdna encoding histone h1 from leishmania braziliensis.	the isolation and molecular characterization of the histone h1-encoding gene from leishmania braziliensis was carried out. the gene is present in the genome as a single copy and transcribed as a polyadenylated transcript of 830 nucleotides. the deduced amino acid sequence has in its central region the dna binding k-[k/r]-a-a-[a/p] motif, which is repeated in tandem 9 times.	2002	12053969
molecular probes and the polymerase chain reaction for detection and typing of leishmania species in mexico.	leishmaniasis in mexico is a public health problem because all the clinical forms have been recorded in most mexican states. we studied patients showing clinical symptoms of any form of leishmaniasis, from several endemic areas. bone marrow samples, aspirates or skin biopsies were taken and deoxyribonucleic acid (dna) was extracted and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) with universal primers ajs1 and deb8, specific for the leishmania subgenus leishmania. the pcr products were then ...	2002	12055821
molecular epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in venezuela.	this paper discusses the utility of a set of primers (3j1, 3j2) designed from a repetitive nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid sequence for the diagnosis of leishmania braziliensis infection in samples obtained from humans, insect vectors and mammalian reservoir hosts from different endemic areas in venezuela. a high incidence of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infection was found in the endemic areas studied. the sensitivity and specificity of the primers used were adequate for the identification o ...	2002	12055822
genetic variation in populations of leishmania species in brazil.	the population structure of strains of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis sensu lato from pará state and paraná state in brazil, of l. (v.) shawi and l. (leishmania) amazonensis from pará state, and the relationships of type strains of the subgenera l. (viannia) and l. (leishmania) were examined by the random-amplified polymorphic deoxyribonucleic acid (rapd) technique. four different primers (m13-40, qg1, l15996 and delta gt11r) were used. the bands were analysed using the neighbor-joining (nj) ...	2002	12055823
american cutaneous leishmaniasis in domestic dogs: an example of the use of the polymerase chain reaction for mass screening in epidemiological studies.	domestic dogs (canis familiaris) are firmly incriminated as reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. as an increasing number of studies have reported high infection rates with american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in dogs, it is suggested that they should also be incriminated as reservoir hosts of acl. the evidence to incriminate dogs as acl reservoir hosts is reviewed, and we conclude that there is, as yet, only circumstantial evidence to support that claim, one of the reasons being ...	2002	12055824
parasitological and immunological follow-up of american tegumentary leishmaniasis patients.	a long-term evaluation of human american tegumentary leishmaniasis patients was conducted to detect immunological and/or parasitological indicators associated with cure or protection against leishmaniasis. cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ml) patients from endemic areas of leishmania braziliensis infection in brazil were studied during the active disease, at the end of therapy, and up to 10 years after the end of therapy. for immunological studies, lymphocyte proliferative ...	2002	12055834
genes coding structural proteins in the leishmania braziliensis complex.	acidic ribosomal p1 and p2b proteins, referred to as p proteins, and histone h3 are reported for first time in the leishmania braziliensis complex. deoxyribonucleic acid analysis and multiple sequence alignment suggest that both p proteins may maintain their structural function in the ribosomal stalk, in spite of the high rate of mutations detected. the deduced amino acid sequence of protein p1 showed 51% identity with trypanosoma cruzi protein p1 and protein p2b showed 61% identity with t. cruz ...	2002	12055851
analysis of minicircle classes in leishmania (viannia) species.	this paper reports the analysis of minicircle sequence classes from 4 leishmania species, all belonging to the 'new world' species of the subgenus viannia: leishmania braziliensis, l. guyanensis, l. panamensis and l. peruviana. a minicircle library was constructed for each species, and clones were analysed by restriction enzyme digest and sequence analysis. 319 minicircles from the 4 species were examined and 96 of these were wholly or partially sequenced. the sequences of 41 whole minicircles-- ...	2002	12055852
molecular markers for species identification in the leishmania subgenus viannia.	we have previously identified a novel genomic sequence of 500 bp, the beta 500-dna sequence, in the subgenus leishmania (viannia). this sequence was localized upstream of the beta-tubulin gene. restriction fragment length polymorphism and hybridization analysis has shown that the beta 500-dna sequence is specific to this subgenus. a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay confirmed this specificity. the beta 500-dna sequence was apparently absent from the genomic deoxyribonucleic acid of l. colomb ...	2002	12055853
molecular epidemiology and diagnosis of leishmania: what have we learnt from genome structure, dynamics and function?	this paper reviews our exploration of the dynamics of the leishmania genome and its contribution to epidemiology and diagnosis. we used as a model peruvian populations of l. (viannia) braziliensis and l. (v.) peruviana, 2 species very close phylogenetically, but phenotypically very different in biotope and pathology. we initially focused on karyotype analysis. our data showed that chromosomes were subject to a fast rate of evolution, and were sensitive indicators of genetic drift. therefore, mol ...	2002	12055856
impact of habitat degradation on phlebotominae (diptera: psychodidae) of tropical dry forests in northern colombia.	we examined changes in the phlebotomine fauna resulting from human intervention in a tropical dry forest of northern colombia where visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases are endemic. a natural forest reserve (colosó) and a highly degraded area (san andrés de sotavento [sas]) were sampled monthly for 8 mo using shannon traps, sticky traps, and resting-site collections. overall abundances were higher in colosó (15,988) than in sas (2,324). and species richness of phlebotomines was greater in the fo ...	2002	12061439
the rarity of infection with leishmania (viannia) braziliensis among patients from the manaus region of amazonas state, brazil, who have cutaneous leishmaniasis.	the frequency of leishmania ( viannia) braziliensis infection was assessed in 79 of the 138 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis who attended a reference outpatient unit in manaus, amazonas state, between the august and december of 1997. the disease was characterized by one or more cutaneous ulcers, the skin lesions being frequently associated with satellite lymph-node enlargement. all parasite isolates were identified using monoclonal antibodies and enzyme electrophoresis. only two (2.8%) of t ...	2002	12080973
antigenicity of leishmania braziliensis histone h1 during cutaneous leishmaniasis: localization of antigenic determinants.	the humoral immune response against leishmania braziliensis histone h1 by patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis is described. for this purpose, the protein was purified as a recombinant protein in a prokaryotic expression system and was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) with a collection of sera from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and chagas' disease. the assays showed that l. braziliensis histone h1 was recognized by 66% of the serum samples from patients with leishman ...	2002	12093677
evaluation of antigens from various leishmania species in a western blot for diagnosis of american tegumentary leishmaniasis.	a western blot method that uses antigens from culture promastigote forms of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, l. (leishmania) amazonensis, l. (leishmania) tropica, and a trypanosomatid (strain 268t) isolated from naturally infected tomatoes was evaluated for laboratory diagnosis of american tegumentary leishmaniasis (atl). serum samples were obtained from 108 patients with atl (group i), 23 chagasic patients (group ii), 32 patients with other diseases (group iii), and 78 healthy individuals (gr ...	2002	12135276
visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus.	the current article reports the case of a 19-month-old-girl, from the state of minas gerais, brazil, with visceral leishmaniasis, by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) co-infection. the child's mother and father, aged 22 and 27 years old, respectively, were both hiv positive. the child was admitted to the general pediatric center, in belo horizonte, presenting high fever, fatigue, weight loss and enlargement of liver and spleen. indirect immunofluorescent t ...	2002	12163907
analysis of nls and rrna binding motifs in the l25 ribosomal protein from leishmania (viannia) braziliensis: investigation of its diagnostic capabilities.	a cdna clone codifying ribosomal protein l25 was isolated from a leishmania braziliensis cdna gene library. the alignment of the amino acid sequence deduced from this gene with other proteins revealed that this protein is related to the l23/25 rihosomal protein family. this is so because this protein shows, in its c-terminal end, the rrna binding domains characteristic of these proteins and at the n-terminal end the nls sequence necessary for its entry into the nucleus. southern blot analysis sh ...	2002	12166520
first evidence of transmission of leishmania (viannia) lainsoni in a sub andean region of bolivia.	using ubiquitous primers which amplify the variable parts of kdna minicircle of all leishmania spp, we obtained for leishmania (viannia) lainsoni a major band of 605 bp (band 1) shared with l. v. braziliensis and a minor 524 bp band (band 2) specific of l. v. lainsoni. the specificity of the two bands was examined through southern blot hybridization of kdna pcr obtained from reference strains belonging to l. braziliensis, l. mexicana, l. donovani complexes with l. v. lainsoni species. band 1 was ...	2002	12204398
concurrent cutaneous, visceral and ocular leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in a kidney transplant patient.	although cases of leishmaniasis co-infection have been described in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients as well as those who have undergone organ transplants, to our knowledge, the present report is the first documented case of simultaneous cutaneous, visceral and ocular leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in a transplant patient. the patient had been using immunosuppressive drugs since receiving a transplanted kidney. the first clinical signs of leishmaniasis included ...	2002	12219147
heterogeneity, geographic distribution, and pathogenicity of serodemes of leishmania viannia in colombia.	leishmania viannia strains from 1,092 patients who acquired dermal leishmaniasis in endemic regions of colombia were analyzed for expression of species and subgenus specific epitopes. eight monoclonal antibodies prepared against membranes of the major species of the viannia subgenus and previously shown to distinguish these species, recognized low molecular mass (< 45kd) membrane components. thirteen widely but non-uniformly distributed serodemes were identified: one unique to l. panamensis, fou ...	2002	12224583
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis metacyclic promastigotes purified using bauhinia purpurea lectin are complement resistant and highly infective for macrophages in vitro and hamsters in vivo.	in this study we characterised metacyclogenesis in axenic culture of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, the causative agent of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in the new world. metacyclogenesis of other species of leishmania has been shown by morphological changes as well as molecular modifications in the lipophosphoglycan, the major cell surface glycoconjugate of the promastigotes. in order to obtain metacyclic forms of l. braziliensis we tested a panel of different lectins. our results showed that ...	2002	12350372
evaluation of pcr for diagnosis of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in an area of endemicity in northeastern brazil.	pcr-based approaches targeting kinetoplast dna were evaluated for the diagnosis of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in regions of endemicity in northeastern brazil. a total of 119 cutaneous biopsy specimens from patients with acl and nonleishmaniasis cutaneous lesions were studied. two pcr-based systems were used; one was specific for the subgenus viannia, and the other was specific for the genus leishmania. the pcr specific for the subgenus viannia had a sensitivity of 95.4%, whereas the ...	2002	12354848
a simple and reproducible method to obtain large numbers of axenic amastigotes of different leishmania species.	this work describes a simple method to yield large amounts of leishmania amastigote-like forms in axenic cultures using promastigotes as the starting population. the method described induced extracellular amastigote transformation of leishmania amazonensis (97%), leishmania braziliensis (98%) and leishmania chagasi (90%). the rounded parasites obtained in axenic cultures were morphologically similar, even at the ultrastructural level, to intracellular amastigotes. moreover, the axenic amastigote ...	2002	12375160
susceptibility of spiny rats (proechimys semispinosus) to leishmania (viannia) panamensis and leishmania (leishmania) chagasi.	the role of proechimys semispinosus as reservoir of leishmania (viannia) panamensis on the colombian pacific coast was experimentally evaluated. the susceptibility to l. chagasi also was assessed to determine the utility of this rodent as a model for studying reservoir characteristics in the laboratory. wild-caught animals were screened for natural trypanosomatid infections, and negative individuals were inoculated intradermally (id) in the snout or feet with 10(7) promastigotes of l. panamensis ...	2002	12386716
assessment of pcr in the detection of leishmania spp in experimentally infected individual phlebotomine sandflies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	dna amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was applied in the investigation of the presence of leishmania (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) parasites in single phlebotomine sandflies. three phlebotomine/parasite pairs were used: lutzomyia longipalpis/leishmania chagasi, lutzomyia migonei/leishmania amazonensis and lutzomyia migonei/leishmania braziliensis, all of them incriminated in the transmission of visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis. dna extraction was performed with whole i ...	2002	12436164
molecular identification of vectors of leishmania in colombia: mitochondrial introgression in the lutzomyia townsendi series.	the identity of the sandfly vectors of leishmania braziliensis in valle del cauca department, colombia, was originally given as lutzomyia townsendi, but then changed to l. youngi, another member of the l. townsendi series (verrucarum group) with isomorphic females. to identify members of this series in valle del cauca, we analyzed the nuclear gene elongation factor-alpha (ef-alpha) and the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b (cyt b). dna sequences from the l. verrucarum series (l. columbiana, l. eva ...	2002	12443799
disseminated leishmaniasis: a new and emerging form of leishmaniasis observed in northeastern brazil.	during the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of patients with disseminated leishmaniasis (dl), which is characterized by a large number of acneiform and papular skin lesions, with very few or no parasites in the skin tissue. the present report describes 42 cases of dl identified between 1992 and 1998 in an area where leishmania braziliensis transmission is endemic; 8 of the patients were prospectively diagnosed. in a contrast to localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (lcl), acquis ...	2002	12447770
influence of vertebrate blood meals on the development of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis and leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis in the sand fly lutzomyia migonei (diptera: psychodidae).	the effect of blood meals from humans and seven domestic, wild, or laboratory animals (dogs, horses, chickens, rats, opossums, mice, and hamsters) on the development of leishmania braziliensis and l. amazonensis was studied in the sand fly lutzomyia migonei. the development of l. braziliensis and l. amazonensis exhibited peripylarian and suprapylarian patterns of development, respectively, in the sand fly gut with all blood meals tested. the blood meal sources influenced the infection rate of th ...	2002	12518856
[tegumental leishmaniasis in las lomitas, province of formosa, argentina, 1992-2001].	las lomitas hospital reported 85 cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis between 1992 and 2001. the cases were males (72.9%), 91.8% older than 10 years, 10.5% presented mucosae involvement. a single ulcer on lower limbs was the most frequent manifestation. the epidemiological and clinical patterns were consistent with the infection due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. the annual distribution of ulcers onset was bimodal, the frequency of cases had a significant association with the bermejo river ...	2002	12532691
ecology of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of rio de janeiro, brazil.	a study of the sand fly fauna was carried out in the endemic area ofamerican cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in the municipality of mesquita, state of rio de janeiro, in an area where dwellings (with humans and dogs infected by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis) have been recently visited by sloths. weekly captures were made during two consecutive years in two different sites (1 m and 600 m above sea level) and in three different habitats in each site (domestic, extra-domestic and sylvatic) using ...	2002	12546456
immunoglobulin e antileishmanial antibody response in cutaneous leishmaniasis.	high levels of antileishmanial immunoglobulin e (ige) antibodies are associated with disease activity in visceral leishmaniasis. herein, we report our observations about the relationship between antileishmanial ige antibodies and clinical aspects of cutaneous leishmaniasis. this study was carried out with 45 patients (29 male and 16 female), with ages ranging from 11 to 48 years. all subjects were from an area to which leishmaniasis is endemic, corte de pedra (bahia, brazil), and the duration of ...	2002	11777837
[epidemiological and clinical study of 332 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the north of parana state from 1993 to 1998].	cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) in northern parana state have been reported since the 1950's, but towards the end of the 1980's there has been an increase in the number of human infections. from 1993 to 1998, a study was carried out in an attempt to define the epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis in this region. a total of 316 cases of cl were reported from 35 municipal districts and 16 imported cases. most cases of cl notified (70.8%) were in the age group of 15 to 49 years old and mo ...	2002	12621662
endemically exposed asymptomatic individuals show no increase in the specific leishmania (viannia) panamensis-th1 immune response in comparison to patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis.	in colombia, most cases of human cutaneous leishmaniasis are caused by leishmania (viannia) panamensis. interestingly, up to 30% of the exposed population do not suffer from clinical leishmaniasis although it is likely that they are continuously infected with leishmania parasites. since it is believed that the induction of efficient th1 immune responses protects against leishmania infections both in humans and in animal models, we determined if endemically exposed asymptomatics showed stronger l ...	2002	12654087
synthesis, and biological evaluation of new 1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-phenylamine derivatives against leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and amastigotes.	1,3,4-thiadiazolium-2-aminide, which is a class of mesoionic compounds, were tested against promastigote and amastigote forms of leishmania amazonensis. parasites were assayed with or without the drugs in axenic media, using pentamidine isethionate as a reference drug. the very promising results showed us the most active compounds were the 4'- and 3'-methoxy derivatives against promastigote forms, while the highest activity against the amastigote forms was obtained with the 4'-fluor and 3'-bromo ...	2002	12660023
knowledge and behavior of tourists to manu national park, peru, in relation to leishmaniasis.	tourists have been infected with leishmania braziliensis and the lack of appropriate travel information on the disease has been documented. the aim of this study was to describe the knowledge and behavior of tourists booked on a trip to manu national park in peru in relation to leishmaniasis and its prevention.	2002	12962609
evaluation of pcr as a diagnostic mass-screening tool to detect leishmania (viannia) spp. in domestic dogs (canis familiaris).	several studies have suggested that the pcr could be used in epidemiological mass-screening surveys to detect leishmania (viannia) spp. infection in human and animal hosts. dogs from an area of leishmania braziliensis and leishmania peruviana endemicity were screened for american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) infection by established pcr-based and enzyme-linked immunosorbent antibody test (elisa) protocols. pcr detected leishmania (viannia) infection in a total of 90 of 1,066 (8.4%) dogs: 32 of ...	2003	12682134
detection, differentiation, and quantitation of pathogenic leishmania organisms by a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based real-time pcr assay.	real-time technology eliminates many of the pitfalls of diagnostic pcr, but this method has not been applied to differentiation of leishmania organisms so far. we have developed a real-time pcr that simultaneously detects, quantitates, and categorizes leishmania organisms into three relevant groups causing distinct clinical pictures. the analytical sensitivity (detection rate of >or=95% at 94.1 parasites/ml of blood) was within a range that has been determined previously to facilitate the confir ...	2003	12682141
[detection of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in vascular endothelium lesions of patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis].	in the present study, we examined the cutaneous lesions of 8 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, from regions situated near the rivers chama-mocoties, in merida state, venezuela. the lesions of the patients were diagnosed on the basis of clinical, parasitological and immmunological examinations. the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay showed infection by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in cutaneous lesions samples. histopathology of skin biopsy specimens showed inflammatory infiltrates of ...	2003	12703184
efficacy of azithromycin in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.	the present open pilot study was conducted to assess the efficacy of azithromycin for the treatment of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in ara ua and varzelândia, mg. twenty-four patients with less of six months of disease evolution were treated after clinical examination, montenegro test and a biopsy. the treatment schemes consisted of oral doses of 500 mg per day for 3, 5 and 10 days and of 1000 mg for two days. a clinical control was performed monthly and treatment cycles were repeated w ...	2003	12715065
variation of leishmanicidal activity in four populations of urechites andrieuxii.	urechites andrieuxii muell.-arg. (apocynaceae) is widely used in the yucatan peninsula for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. the influence of the environment in the variability of the leishmanicidal activity of the plant was evaluated using crude methanol extracts of roots from individuals belonging to four natural populations growing in the yucatan peninsula. the results of the growth inhibition test using three leishmania spp. promastigotes showed a stronger leishmanicidal activity in ...	2003	12738094
structural and functional analysis of an amplification containing a pgpa gene in a glucantime-resistant leishmania (viannia) guyanensis cell line.	drug resistance is a complex phenomenon in leishmania and commonly involves gene amplification. active efflux and metal sequestration through a p-glycoprotein have been pointed to as the major mechanisms used by drug-resistant leishmania. a gene amplification from a glucantime-resistant leishmania (viannia) guyanensis cell line was characterised in an attempt to understand the mechanism of metal resistance in this pathogenic species. we show that the amplification is present as an extrachromosom ...	2003	12756544
cloning and characterization of the leishmania (viannia) braziliensis hsp70 gene. diagnostic use of the c-terminal fragment rlb70(513-663).	cross-reactions between leishmania braziliensis and trypanosoma cruzi caused by common antigenic determinants hinder the specific diagnosis of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (cl and mcl). therefore, the usefulness of the 70-kda heat shock protein (hsp70) from l. braziliensis for differential serodiagnosis was investigated. the single-copy gene encoding hsp70, consisting of 663 amino acids, was isolated from a genomic dna library. the antigenicity data show that hsp70 is an immunodomin ...	2003	12760657
design of copper dna intercalators with leishmanicidal activity.	the complexes [cu(dppz)(no(3))]no(3) (1), [cu(dppz)(2)(no(3))]no(3) (2), [cu(dpq)(no(3))]no(3) (3), and [cu(dpq)(2)(no(3))]no(3) (4) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, fab-mass spectrometry, epr, uv, and ir spectroscopies, and molar conductivity. dna interaction studies showed that intercalation is an important way of interacting with dna for these complexes. the biological activity of these copper complexes was evaluated on leishmania braziliensis promastigotes, and the r ...	2003	12761661
human mixed infections of leishmania spp. and leishmania-trypanosoma cruzi in a sub andean bolivian area: identification by polymerase chain reaction/hybridization and isoenzyme.	parasites belonging to leishmania braziliensis, leishmania donovani, leishmania mexicana complexes and trypanosoma cruzi (clones 20 and 39) were searched in blood, lesions and strains collected from 28 patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis and one patient with visceral leishmaniasis. pcr-hybridization with specific probes of leishmania complexes (l. braziliensis, l. donovani and l. mexicana) and t. cruzi clones was applied to the different dna samples. over 29 patients, 8 (27.6%) presente ...	2003	12764443
identification of endotrypanum species from a sloth, a squirrel and lutzomyia sandflies in ecuador by pcr amplification and sequencing of the mini-exon gene.	pcr amplification and nucleotide sequencing of the mini-exon gene revealed that four strains isolated from a sloth (choloepus hoffmanni), a squirrel (sciurus granatensis) and two sandflies (lutzomyia hartmanni) in ecuador were indistinguishable from endotrypanum monterogeii. another strain isolated from lu. hartmanni showed the high sequence similarity to e. schaudinni. since three of these strains have been previously identified as leishmania (viannia) equatorensis, the results demonstrate that ...	2003	12808222
comparative analysis of the nitric oxide production by leishmania sp.	the present report explores a comparative analysis of nitric oxide (no()) production by three different species of leishmania (l. amazonensis, l. braziliensis and l. chagasi). among these species, l. braziliensis produced the highest amount of no(), measured in the supernatants of promastigotes cultures as nitrite, a stable by-product derived from no(*). we have previously described the expression of a constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cnos) in l. amazonensis promastigotes and axenic amastig ...	2003	12827512
genetic polymorphism and molecular epidemiology of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis from different hosts and geographic areas in brazil.	numerical zymotaxonomy and variability of the internal transcribed spacers (its) between the small and large subunits of the rrna genes were used to examine strain variation and relationships in natural populations of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. a total of 101 strains from distinct hosts and brazilian geographic regions were assigned to 15 zymodemes clustered in two major genetic groups. the great number of isolates (48.5%) placed in zymodeme ioc/z-27 were collected on the atlantic coast. ...	2003	12843052
leishmania (viannia) utingensis n. sp., a parasite from the sandfly lutzomyia (viannamyia) tuberculata in amazonian brazil.	a leishmanial parasite isolated in 1977 from a specimen of the sandfly lutzomyia tuberculata from pará state, amazonian brazil, has been characterized following its comparison with other species of leishmania from the same region, using isoenzyme profiles, monoclonal antibodies and characterization of the miniexon gene repeat, using the polymerase chain reaction technique (pcr). it is described here under the name of leishmania (viannia) utingensis n. sp.	2003	12847917
the domestic dog, a potential reservoir for leishmania in the peten region of guatemala.	in the present study, domestic dogs in a leishmania endemic area in the peten region of guatemala were sampled to determine if they are a potential reservoir for leishmania parasites. blood from 100 dogs from six villages was tested with two different antibody-capture assays for leishmania-specific antibodies and a 28% seroprevalence was determined. tissue scrapings from six dogs presenting with chronic lesions characteristic of leishmania infection were sampled and four dogs were positive by a ...	2003	12860062
cutaneous leishmaniasis: an overview.	leishmaniasis is a major world health problem, which is increasing in incidence. in northern europe it is seen in travellers returning from endemic areas. the protozoa is transmitted by sandflies and may produce a variety of clinical syndromes varying from a simple ulcer to fatal systemic disease. this review considers the management of simple cutaneous leishmaniasis. patients usually have a single ulcer that may heal spontaneously, requiring only topical, or no treatment at all. lesions caused ...	2003	12865571
mapping the proteome of leishmania viannia parasites using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and associated technologies.	in this study we have demonstrated the potential of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2de)-based technologies as tools for characterization of the leishmania proteome (the expressed protein complement of the genome). standardized neutral range (ph 5-7) proteome maps of leishmania (viannia) guyanensis and leishmania (viannia) panamensis promastigotes were reproducibly generated by 2de of soluble parasite extracts, which were prepared using lysis buffer containing urea and nonidet p-40 detergent. t ...	2003	12872554
back from the peace corps--with skin lesions from south america.		2003	12884834
the 245 kb amplified chromosome of leishmania (v.) braziliensis contains a biopterin transporter gene.	leishmania (v.) braziliensis m2903 presents a small linear and stable 245 kb chromosome originating from a genomic amplification. similar amplifications present in other species of leishmania contain a gene coding for a biopterin transporter. since leishmania is auxotrophic for this metabolite, this amplification could result from the need to better capture biotpterin from growth media under specific circumstances. in this paper we show that this gene is also present in l. (v.) braziliensis smal ...	2003	12886418
direct identification of leishmania species in biopsies from patients with american tegumentary leishmaniasis.	accurate identification of leishmania species is important for monitoring clinical outcome, adequately targeting treatment, and evaluation of epidemiological risk in tegumentary leishmaniasis. this is especially the case in regions where several species coexist and for travel medicine where the geographical source of infection is not always obvious. species identification presently depends on parasite isolation, which is not very sensitive and not necessarily representative of parasites actually ...	2003	12886810
lutzomyia vectors for cutaneous leishmaniasis in southern brazil: ecological niche models, predicted geographic distributions, and climate change effects.	geographic and ecological distributions of three lutzomyia sand flies that are cutaneous leishmaniasis vectors in south america were analysed using ecological niche modelling. this new tool provides a large-scale perspective on species' geographic distributions, ecological and historical factors determining them, and their potential for change with expected environmental changes. as a first step, the ability of this technique to predict geographic distributions of the three species was tested st ...	2003	12906876
[a comparative study between the efficacy of pentamidine isothionate given in three doses for one week and n-methil-glucamine in a dose of 20mgsbv/day for 20 days to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis].	seventy-nine patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were included in this study. the experimental group (n = 38) was treated with pentamidine isothionate in a dose of 4mg/kg/day on alternate days, for one week. the control group (n = 41) was treated with n-methylglucamine in a dose of 20mgsbv/kg/day for 20 days. twenty-one isolates were identified using monoclonal antibody technique. we characterized leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, most frequently. there was a cure rate of 71.05% of the patien ...	2003	12908038
the site of cutaneous infection influences the immunological response and clinical outcome of hamsters infected with leishmania panamensis.	we determined that the site of inoculation (foot or snout) influences the clinical evolution and immune responses of hamsters infected with leishmania (viannia) panamensis. hamsters infected in the snout showed (i) a more rapid and severe lesion evolution at multiple time points (p < 0.05), (ii) a more extensive inflammatory infiltrate and tissue necrosis, (iii) a higher tissue parasite burden, (iv) a higher antibody titre (p < 0.01), but lower antigen-specific spleen cell proliferative response ...	2003	12911522
antileishmanial activities of dihydrochalcones from piper elongatum and synthetic related compounds. structural requirements for activity.	two dihydrochalcones (1 and 2) were isolated from piper elongatum vahl by activity-guided fractionation against extracellular promastigotes of leishmania braziliensis in vitro. their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation nmr experiments. derivatives 3-7 and 20 synthetic related compounds (8-27) were also assayed to establish the structural requirements for antileishmanial activity. compounds 1-11 that proved to be more active that ke ...	2003	12927858
characterizing cellular immune response to kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (kmp-11) during leishmania (viannia) panamensis infection using dendritic cells (dcs) as antigen presenting cells (apcs).	in vitro peptide binding assays and dcs pulsed with recombinant kmp-11 (rkmp-11) plus six 20-mer overlapping peptides covering the entire protein of leishmania (viannia) panamensis (l(v)p) promastigotes were used to identify t-cell epitopes in this protein. such in vitro binding assays, using hla drb1* 0101, -0401, -0701 and -1101 alleles, demonstrated that two peptide sequences (deefnkkmqeqnakffadkp and fkhkfaelleqqkaaqypsk) exhibited high hla drb1* 0401 allele binding capacity. rkmp-11 specifi ...	2003	12940963
imported mucosal leishmaniasis in a traveler.	we report a case of mucosal leishmaniasis in a traveler returning from south america. the traveler developed nasal symptoms 2 months after the appearance of cutaneous ulcers. diagnosis of mucosal leishmania viannia braziliensis infection was made 5 years later. the clinical presentation and diagnosis for the patient are reported, and previous cases in travelers are reviewed. we recommend that mucosal examination should be part of follow-up for l. viannia braziliensis infection in travelers. muco ...	2003	12955668
disseminated mucocutaneous leishmaniasis resulting from chronic use of corticosteroid.	mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is a granulomatous disease clinically characterized by ulcerated skin and mucosal lesions whose clinical manifestations can regress spontaneously, but with possible long subclinical evolution. the course of the disease is often related to the host immune response. the purpose of this article is to describe the clinical and microscopic findings of cutaneous and mucosal lesions of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in a patient who presented an unusual form of the disease asso ...	2003	12956682
trypanocidal and leishmanicidal properties of substitution-containing chalcones.	ten chalcones were synthesized and tested as potential leishmanicidal and trypanocidal agents. all tested compounds caused concentration-dependent inhibition of the in vitro growth of leishmania braziliensis and trypanosoma cruzi with no significant toxic effect towards host macrophages. our results show that the positions of the substituents seem to be critical for their antiprotozoal activities.	2003	12654691
the transmission dynamics of canine american cutaneous leishmaniasis in huánuco, peru.	the epidemiology of canine american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) due to leishmania (viannia) spp. was investigated in huánuco, peru to 1) describe the natural course of canine l. (viannia) infections and 2) assess the role of domestic dogs as acl reservoir hosts. over a three-year period 1,022 dogs were surveyed, with cumulative village l. (viannia) prevalence being 26% (range = 0-100%). the incidence of l. (viannia) was estimated to be 0.285 dogs/year (95% confidence interval [ci] = 0.160-0.41 ...	2003	14695083
experience with new world cutaneous leishmaniasis in travelers.	in recent years, new world cutaneous leishmaniasis has been seen at a higher incidence among returning israeli travelers. leishmania braziliensis and related species cause unsightly cutaneous lesions possibly complicated with a mucosal disease. a total of 12 patients with new world cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated in our clinic, 11 of whom (92%) acquired the disease in the bolivian amazon basin. five (42%) had regional lymphadenopathy in addition to cutaneous lesions. polymerase chain reacti ...	2003	14512915
[american cutaneous leishmaniasis: special features in diagnosis and therapy].	three weeks after returning from a trip to guatemala, a 33-year-old man developed two ulcers with indurated edges on his right leg and painful lymph nodes in the right groin. his general condition was not impaired.	2003	14523685
[leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in naturally infected dogs].	eight dogs from maricá municipality (rj), with suggestive lesion of american tegumentary leishmaniasis were studied by parasitological and serological methods. leishmania spp was found in six dogs by in vitro cultivation. specific antibodies were detected in six dogs by elisa and in two by indirect immunofluorescence. five canine isolates were found to belong to the same zymodeme as leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. the authors suggest that clinically suspect dogs should be followed-up in an at ...	2003	14576867
domestic dog ownership: a risk factor for human infection with leishmania (viannia) species.	an epidemiological study has shown that cumulative, village prevalence of leishmania (viannia) infection in dogs ranges from 8% to 45% in huánuco, peru. using data from a prospective survey of human american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) collected during 1994-98, it was shown that the village-level risk of human acl did not significantly increase with dog abundance, neither in absolute terms (p = 0.659) nor in relation to dog:human ratios (p = 0.213). a significant positive association was obser ...	2003	14584365
recent observations on the sand fly (diptera: psychodidae) fauna of the state of rondônia, western amazônia, brazil: the importance of psychdopygus davisi as a vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.	sand flies were collected in the central region of the state of rondônia (w 64 degrees 30' to 63 degrees 00' and s 10 degrees 00'to 11 degrees 00') using shannon and cdc light traps from october 1997 to august 2000. a total of 85,850 specimens representing 78 named species were captured. of these 14 were new records for rondônia. the proportion of males/females was 1/1.131. trypanosomatids, that are presently being identified, were detected in 11 species. leishmania (viannia) naiffi was recorded ...	2003	14595450
antibody subclass profile against leishmania braziliensis and leishmania amazonensis in the diagnosis and follow-up of mucosal leishmaniasis.	sensitivities and specificities of igg subclasses-elisa and igg-indirect fluorescent antibody test (ifat) against leishmania braziliensis (lb) and l. amazonensis (la) antigens were determined in 17 patients with mucosal (ml) and 19 with muco-cutaneous (mcl) leishmaniasis. using ifat-igg both antigens gave high sensitivities and were statistically similar, being 89.5% with la and 100% with lb. using elisa, the highest sensitivity was achieved with total igg for ml (94.7% with both antigens) and m ...	2003	14596966
clinical utility of polymerase chain reaction-based detection of leishmania in the diagnosis of american cutaneous leishmaniasis.	we evaluated the use of polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for diagnosis of american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in an area in bahia, brazil, where leishmania braziliensis is endemic. leishmania dna was detected in 50 cases, yielding a positivity rate of 100%, which was higher than the rates for all of the other diagnostic methods studied--namely, the montenegro skin test, anti-leishmania serological testing, and microscopic examination of lesion biopsy specimens. these findings have led us to pr ...	2003	14614687
short report: quantification of leishmaniavirus rna in clinical samples and its possible role in pathogenesis.	leishmaniavirus (lrv) is a double-stranded rna virus that infects the protozoa leishmania and has been identified in numerous strains of leishmania braziliensis and l. braziliensis guyanensis. in general, the species of leishmania dictates disease manifestation except in the case of l. braziliensis, which is capable of causing either cutaneous or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. we wanted to determine 1) the quantity of lrv rna present in a clinical sample and 2) if infection with lrv was associated ...	2003	14628949
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis-induced chronic granulomatous cutaneous lesions affecting the nasal mucosa in the rhesus monkey (macaca mulatta) model.	the present studies on infections with leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in rhesus macaques were made to characterize the evolution of different parasite strains and the immune responses they elicited in this experimental host. a standardized inoculum of promastigotes was injected intradermally either above the eyelid or on the forearm of each monkey. sixteen infected monkeys developed longstanding infections which lasted until the end of the observation period (33 months). the time required for ...	2003	14653533