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use of polymerase chain reaction-based single strand conformational polymorphism and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods for detection of sequence variation of ribosomal dna of trypanosoma cruzi.polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was used to amplify the v1 region of the small sub-unit (18s) ribosomal dna gene from representative strains of trypanosoma cruzi. in order to screen for sequence variation, amplification products were subsequently analysed by single strand conformational polymorphism (sscp) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (dgge) techniques. sscp could not detect sequence variation within t. cruzi, although electrophoretic profiles were clearly distinct from both leish ...19979138037
[cutaneous leishmaniasis and leishmania species in french guiana]. 19969139207
patients' associations and the control of leishmaniasis in peru.american mucocutaneous leishmaniasis is an important health problem in peru, particularly in the mountainous cuzco region, where 25% of all new cases reported in 1989 were located. cases have increased considerably since the beginning of the 1980s, when large-scale seasonal migration to endemic zones occurred, particularly the forest area of madre de dios, following the discovery of new gold deposits there, and the deterioration in the economic situation in peru. following the lack of official r ...19979141749
human leishmaniasis: clinical, diagnostic, and chemotherapeutic developments in the last 10 years.the current interest in leishmaniasis stems from the importance of this disease with respect to travel medicine, veterans of operation desert storm, humanitarian concerns, and infection with human immunodeficiency virus. herein, i review aspects of leishmaniasis that are of practical value to practitioners, including presentation, diagnosis, and chemotherapy; i will emphasize advances in chemotherapy over the last 10 years. amphotericin b and its new lipid formulations are now competitive with p ...19979145744
cross-reactivity of antibodies in human infections by the kinetoplastid protozoa trypanosoma cruzi, leishmania chagasi and leishmania (viannia) braziliensis.we have detected antibodies, in the sera of chagas disease, kala-azar and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis patients, that bind multiple antigens shared between the three causative agents. the chagas disease sera showed 98 to 100% positive results by elisa when the leishmania braziliensis and leishmania chagasi antigens were used, respectively. the kala-azar sera showed 100% positive results with trypanosoma cruzi or l. braziliensis antigens by immunofluorescence assays. the antibodies in the sera of ...19969163981
an oligonucleotide probe derived from kdna minirepeats is specific for leishmania (viannia).sequence analysis of leishmania (viannia) kdna minicircles and analysis of multiple sequence alignments of the conserved region (minirepeats) of five distinct minicircles from l. (v.) braziliensis species with corresponding sequences derived from other dermotropic leishmanias indicated the presence of a sub-genus specific sequence. an oligonucleotide bearing this sequence was designed and used as a molecular probe, being able to recognize solely the sub-genus viannia species in hybridization exp ...19969040846
identification of the c-terminal region of 70 kda heat shock protein from leishmania (viannia) braziliensis as a target for the humoral immune response.a leishmania (viannia) braziliensis (lb) promastigote cdna library in lambda gt11 was screened with patients' sera with the aim of identifying antigens specifically related to mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (mcl). one of the clones isolated, 133p, consistently reacted with mcl sera; it was sequenced and found to encode the c-terminal three-quarters of a protein belonging to the highly conserved hsp70 family. since hsp70 proteins from different species tend to be less conserved through the c-termina ...19969222603
immunohistochemical analysis of the mucosal lesion in mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.using antibodies against surface antigens of inflammatory cells and against extra-cellular matrix components, immunocytochemical studies permit the investigation of the in situ cellular immune response and the associated fibrosis, in mucosal lesions. 57 paraffin embedded skin biopsies of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis originating from bolivia, and due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, were studied. memory t cells predominate within a non-organized granulomatous reaction, in which were observed ...19949235205
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis: biological behavior in golden hamsters of isolates from argentine patients.this study reports intraspecific variations of native isolates of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis from patients with leishmaniasis from salta, argentina. these isolates induced skin lesions in golden hamsters, initially showing rapid development, reaching their largest size between 28 and 35 days postinfection (pi). thereafter, the infections were self-limiting and total regression was observed at 80-150 days pi. the majority of the native isolates were characterized by low infectivity in the ...19979242330
intralesional therapy of american cutaneous leishmaniasis with pentavalent antimony in rio de janeiro, brazil--an area of leishmania (v.) braziliensis transmission.the drug of choice for leishmaniasis is pentavalent antimony and different regimens are under continuous evaluation. the ideal therapy should be simple, effective, and with no or minor side-effects. in this paper we have studied the efficacy of intralesionally applied antimony in new world cutaneous leishmaniasis.19979248897
phylogenetic relationships between leishmania, viannia and sauroleishmania inferred from comparison of a variable domain within the rna polymerase ii largest subunit gene. 19968844676
t-cell responsiveness of american cutaneous leishmaniasis patients to purified leishmania pifanoi amastigote antigens and leishmania braziliensis promastigote antigens: immunologic patterns associated with cure.patients suffering from american cutaneous leishmaniasis were studied before therapy (active lesion) and at the end of therapy (cured patients). assays of lymphocyte proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced in vitro by leishmania braziliensis promastigote antigens (lb) or by three proteins (a-2/p-2, p-4, and p-8) derived from leishmania pifanoi amastigotes were performed. antigen-stimulated cells were harvested for cd4 and cd8 phenotype analysis and the levels of gam ...19968932764
[leishmania (viannia) braziliensis vianna, 1911 in french guiana. clinical, therapeutic and epidemiological considerations in the ninth human diagnosed case].the authors report the ninth case of cutaneous leishmaniasis without mucosal involvement due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis (isoenzymatic profile related to zymodeme mon-44) diagnosed in a legionnaire who recently arrived in french guiana. the skin lesion as a single ulcerated nodule of the dorsum of the left ringfinger was cured after two courses of four intramuscular injections of pentamidine isothionate (total posology of pentamidine-base: 16.6 mg/kg). the transmission occurred during n ...19969264733
seroepidemiological studies of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the campeche state of méxico.seroepidemiological studies of cutaneous leishmaniasis were carried out in 169 individuals in a rural area of the campeche state of méxico. fifty showed cutaneous lesions suggestive of leishmaniasis, 70% were parasite positive and 96% skin test positive. an overall 40% positivity to skin test with montenegro's antigen was found. most of the affected individuals were males from 11 to 30 years-old. antibodies were determined by immunofluorescent antibody test (ifa) and by western blot. two antigen ...19979302408
evidence for hybridization by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic dna between leishmania braziliensis and leishmania panamensis/guyanensis in ecuador.the taxonomic attribution of four leishmania stocks isolated from humans in ecuador has been explored by both multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic dna. for three loci, mlee results showed patterns suggesting a heterozygous state for a diploid organism, while the corresponding homozygous states are characteristic of the leishmania panamensis/guyanensis complex and leishmania braziliensis, respectively. other enzyme loci showed characters attributable to either the l. ...19979304809
treatment of american cutaneous leishmaniasis: a comparison between low dosage (5 mg/kg/day) and high dosage (20 mg/kg/day) antimony regimens.twenty-three patients from rio de janeiro, brazil-an area of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis transmission-were randomly assigned to receive either a high dose (20 mg/kg/day) of antimony or a lower one (5 mg/kg/day) in a 30 days series. the two treatment regimens showed similar responses. in 10 out of 12 patients receiving a dose of 5 mg/kg/day and 9 out of 11 patients with a dosage of 20 mg/kg/day a complete epithelization was noted by the end of treatment. in addition patients were followed f ...19979309267
lipid biosynthesis pathways as chemotherapeutic targets in kinetoplastid parasites.inhibitors of sterol and phospholipid biosynthesis in kinetoplastid parasites such as trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas' disease, and different species of leishmania have potent and selective activity as chemotherapeutic agents in vitro and in vivo. recent work with the sterol c14 alpha-demethylase inhibitor d0870, a bis triazole derivative, showed that this compound is capable of inducing radical parasitological cure in murine models of both acute and chronic chagas' disease. oth ...19979309771
cutaneous leishmaniasis in the peruvian andes: factors associated with variability in clinical symptoms, response to treatment, and parasite isolation rate.the severity of cutaneous leishmaniasis may be determined by host immunity, parasite virulence, and host or vector behavior. we performed a multivariate analysis to identify the main causes of the variability in clinical symptoms, response to treatment, and parasite isolation rate among peruvian patients. the effect of host immunity was demonstrated first by the finding that secondary infections induced smaller lesions associated with a lower parasite isolation rate than did primary infections a ...19979332529
persistent infections by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis.here we review the phenomenon of persistency in leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infections. in other leishmania species where appropriate animal models exist, considerable advances in the understanding of basic immunologic mechanisms of persistency have been made; for a review see aebisher (1994). on the contrary, the evidences of persistence in infections with l. braziliensis rest on studies of human clinical cases many of which we summarized and discussed in this work.19979332597
specific inhibitory effect of 3-deazaneplanocin a against several leishmania mexicana and l. braziliensis strains.the growth inhibitory effect of 3-deazaneplanocin a (c3npca) was tested against some pathogenic members of the family of american trypanosomatidae. under our culture conditions, c3npca displayed a strongly and uniformly leishmanistatic effect on all 23 american leishmania (l. mexicana and l. brasiliensis) strains in the study (mean dose producing 50% inhibition compared with control parasite growth [id50] = 96 ng/ml, 0.32 microm), but showed no inhibition against the several t. cruzi and t. rang ...19979347954
evaluation of leishmania antigens preparation and storage for use in enzyme immunoassays.the influence of time and temperature on the storage of an alkaline antigen of l. major-like and l.(v.) braziliensis promastigotes added or not of a proteases inhibitor (pmsf) was evaluated by means of an igg-elisa. antibodies in assays using l. major-like antigen stored at -20 degrees c for 6 months had a statistically lower geometric mean titer (gmt) and different 95% confidence interval limits (cl) than antigens stored otherwise, as assessed by the "t" statistic. the pmsfl. major-like antigen ...19979219443
phylogenetic taxonomy of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis based on isoenzymatic study of 137 isolates.biochemical characterization of 137 leishmania braziliensis isolates from south and central america, and from selected endemic foci in bolivia, brazil and colombia, performed by isoenzymatic electrophoresis using 10 enzymatic systems, showed a high enzymatic polymorphism (44 zymodemes obtained) based on the variation of a small number of enzymes. cladistic analysis showed close links between the zymodemes within the l. braziliensis s.s. cluster. the position of 2 colombian zymodemes obtained (mo ...19979364560
genomic dna repeat from leishmania (viannia) braziliensis (venezuelan strain) containing simple repeats and microsatellites.in this paper the leishmania (viannia) braziliensis complex is defined as containing all species of the actual subgenus viannia. organisms of the l. (v) braziliensis complex are the causative agents of localized human cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in south america, much of central america and some ares of north america. in our search for better species and subspecies diagnostic probes we focused our research on repetitive dna, since it provides a greater number of target sites for hy ...19979364561
carbohydrate and lpg expression in leishmania viannia subgenus.glycosylated molecules expressed on the cell surface of leishmania promastigotes contribute to the outcome of contact between the parasite and its invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. the expression of several such molecules is growth phase dependent. information on the expression of carbohydrates by leishmania of the viannia subgenus (braziliensis complex), a widespread cause of morbidity in the americas, is fragmentary. we have examined the relationship between growth phase and the expression of ...19979267410
leishmania braziliensis, molecular characterization of an elongation factor 1alpha gene.the elongation factor ef-1alpha is one of the most studied components of the translation machinery owing to its abundance and possible role in other cellular functions. ef-1alpha mediates the correct coupling of the aminoacyl-trna on the a site of the ribosome in a gtp-dependent reaction. we have previously described an ef-1alpha dna sequence in leishmania amazonensis, plef11 (accession no. m92653), using pcr. in this paper we describe the dna sequence and genomic organization of l. braziliensis ...19979370293
specific in vitro cleavage of a leishmania virus capsid-rna-dependent rna polymerase polyprotein by a host cysteine-like protease.antibodies raised against baculovirus-expressed rna-dependent rna polymerase (rdrp) recognized a 95-kda antigen and two smaller proteins in sucrose-purified leishmania virus particles isolated from infected parasites. the 95-kda antigen is similar in size to one predicted by translation of the rdrp open reading frame (orf) alone. in an effort to reconcile in vitro observations of translational frameshifting on leishmania rna virus 1-4 transcripts, we have developed an in vitro cleavage assay sys ...19979371554
hygromycin b resistance mediates elimination of leishmania virus from persistently infected parasites.a series of px63-hyg derivatives encoding leishmania rna virus 1-4 (lrv1-4) sequences were electroporated into cells of leishmania strain m4147, a virus-infected strain of l. guyanensis. after 6 weeks of drug selection (hygromycin b), transfected parasites lacked detectable quantities of viral genomic double-stranded rna, viral capsid protein, and rna-dependent rna polymerase (rdrp) activity. evidence of viral infection was not recovered upon removal of the drug. while viral rna transcripts were ...19979371555
evidence for a major gene controlling susceptibility to tegumentary leishmaniasis in a recently exposed bolivian population.tegumentary leishmaniasis due to leishmania braziliensis is a parasitic disease that occurs in two stages after the infected sandfly bite: (1) a primary cutaneous lesion followed by (2) a secondary mucosal involvement generally resulting in severe facial deformities. in order to investigate the genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of the cutaneous lesion, a familial study was performed in a region of bolivia in which the disease is endemic. complete selection of 118 nucl ...19979382111
genetic diversity among leishmania (viannia) parasites.the mode of reproduction in, and population structure of leishmania (viannia) parasites were deduced from the nature and extent of genetic variation in the parasites. forty-seven zymodemes belonging to the viannia subgenus were analysed by enzyme electrophoresis and the profiles compared with those of two zymodemes belonging to the leishmania subgenus. the results revealed extensive genetic variation in viannia. the widespread occurrence of certain zymodemes, the level of heterozygosity and the ...19979425364
leishmania braziliensis presenting as a granulomatous lesion of the nasal septum mucosa.differential diagnosis of granulomatous lesions of the nasal mucosa is difficult. one of the possible causes is an infection with leishmania braziliensis as reported in this case. therefore leishmaniasis should be included in the differential diagnosis of granulomatous lesions of the nasal mucosa in patients who have travelled to endemic areas.19979425490
experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis. iv. the humoral response of cebus apella (primates: cebidae) to infections of leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis, l. (viannia) lainsoni and l. (v.) braziliensis using the direct agglutination test.the direct agglutination test (dat) was used to evaluate the serological response of 150 serum samples taken from 15 captive-bred capuchin monkeys cebus apella. these animals had been experimentally infected with either l. (leishmania) amazonensis, l. (viannia) lainsoni or l. (v.) braziliensis. monkeys infected with l. (l.) amazonensis or l. (v.) lainsoni were challenged with the homologous parasite one month after their spontaneous cure. dat antigens were prepared from l. (l.) donovani, l. (l.) ...19979352003
simplified polymerase chain reaction detection of new world leishmania in clinical specimens of cutaneous leishmaniasis.polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-based detection of new world leishmania from different types of clinical specimens has been further streamlined for field use by simplifying sample preparation and modifying published protocols. a multiplex pcr reaction was developed that allows simultaneous detection of the leishmania genus and identification of the l. braziliensis complex. for typing isolates in culture, we found that simply boiling diluted cultured strains was sufficient preparation for the pcr ...19989452300
analysis of the immune responses of mice to infection with leishmania braziliensis.leishmania major and leishmania braziliensis both cause cutaneous leishmaniasis, but the former kills balb/c mice while the latter is killed by the mice. this killing of l. braziliensis occurred by a gamma interferon-dependent mechanism, potentially made possible by the observed lack of high interleukin-4 production.19989453649
topical paromomycin/methylbenzethonium chloride plus parenteral meglumine antimonate as treatment for american cutaneous leishmaniasis: controlled study.we determined the efficacy of the combination of the topical formulation 15% paromomycin sulfate/12% methylbenzethonium chloride (mbcl) and a short course (7 days) of parenteral meglumine antimonate (pentavalent antimony [sb]) as treatment of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in colombian patients. patients were randomly assigned in unequal allocation (2:1:1:1) to group 1 (topical paromomycin/mbcl plus injectable sb for 7 days), group 2 (topical placebo plus injectable sb for 7 days), group 3 (to ...19989455509
evolution of the genus leishmania revealed by comparison of dna and rna polymerase gene sequences.previous hypotheses of leishmania evolution are undermined by limitations in the phylogenetic reconstruction method employed or due to the omission of key parasites. in this experiment, sequences of the gene encoding the dna polymerase alpha catalytic polypeptide (pola) were analysed phylogenetically in combination with those encoding the rna polymerase ii largest subunit gene (rpoiils) to infer a comprehensive phylogeny of leishmania. nineteen species of parasites were studied, comprising repre ...19979364962
histologic characterization of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis in mice infected with leishmania braziliensis in the presence or absence of sand fly vector salivary gland lysate.leishmania braziliensis is the causative agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in parts of the new world. in the murine model of infection, l. braziliensis does not produce severe or lasting cutaneous lesions in either balb/c or c3h mice. however, when the parasites are injected into balb/c mice with salivary gland lysate of the sand fly vector for the parasite, infection is significantly enhanced, as measured by lesion size, parasite burden, and the outcome of infection. histologic examination ...19989488345
axenic cultivation and partial characterization of leishmania braziliensis amastigote-like stages.leishmania braziliensis strain m2903 was adapted for growth and serially maintained as amastigotes at 34 degrees c in modified um-54 medium, with growth curves exhibiting typical log and stationary phases. in late passages, amastigote growth took place in the absence of supplementary haemin and was unaffected when the initial medium ph was adjusted between 5.4 and 6.3. in contrast to promastigotes, which were elongated and exhibited very long free flagella endowed with the paraflagellar rod (pfr ...19989509020
introgression between lutzomyia intermedia and both lu. neivai and lu. whitmani, and their roles as vectors of leishmania braziliensis. 19979509190
new world cutaneous leishmaniasis imported into australia.a case of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a traveller from belize, central america is reported. leishmaniasis presents rarely in australia and delays in diagnosis and treatment often occur. a high index of suspicion in a patient who has returned from an endemic region is required. subsequent confirmation of a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis is best achieved by demonstration of the organism on skin biopsy, aspiration or smear. the histology is variable and depends on geographic, parasite species ...19989534213
characterisation of leishmania telomeres reveals unusual telomeric repeats and conserved telomere-associated sequence.characterisation of the telomeres of leishmania is important for understanding many aspects of the parasitic life of this primitive protozoan and for the completion of the physical map and sequencing of the genome. after sequencing more than 300 telomere-derived clones from leishmania braziliensis and leishmania major, a conserved 100 bp sequence was identified immediately adjacent to the telomere at the chromosome end and was named lctas (leishmania conserved telomere-associated sequence). the ...19989547275
human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis in santiago del estero, argentina: identification of parasites by monoclonal antibodies and isoenzymes.diagnostic and parasite characterization and identification studies were carried out in human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in santiago del estero, northern province of argentina. diagnostic procedures were biopsies of lesions for smears and inoculations in hamster, needle aspirations of material from ulcers for "in vitro" cultures. immunodiagnostic techniques applied were ifat-igg and montenegro skin test. primary isolation of eight stocks of leishmanial parasites was achieved f ...19969293087
[the evaluation of the tolerance and nephrotoxicity of pentavalent antimony administered in a dose of 40 mg sb v/kg/day, 12/12 hr, for 30 days in the mucocutaneous form of leishmaniasis].the renal function of eleven patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis was analyzed in a prospective study realized at the school hospital of university of brasília. the patients were treated with doses of 40 mg/kg/day of pentavalent antimony (sb v), in a continuous scheme during thirty days. in this study three patients were excluded, one patient with reversible renal failure and two patients with hepatic and cardiac malfunctions. in the other eight patients, severe nephrotoxic effects were obs ...19979463192
rapid identification of leishmania species from formalin-fixed biopsy samples by polymorphism-specific polymerase chain reaction.the precise identification and classification of leishmania species is important for public health surveillance since different species cause different clinical features of the disease. a highly specific polymerase chain reaction (pcr) panel was developed to enable the identification of the five major leishmania species that cause new world cutaneous leishmaniases. the primers used for this panel were designed to distinguish the polymorphism in sequences of commonly amplified dna bands of the pa ...19989573358
analysis of the genomic organisation of a small chromosome of leishmania braziliensis m2903 reveals two genes encoding gtp-binding proteins, one of which belongs to a new g-protein family and is an antigen.leishmania braziliensis m2903 contains a highly amplified small chromosome. this work is aimed at resolving its structural organization and determining whether this unusual chromosome contains specific genes encoding proteins with important functions in disease pathology or drug resistance. our results show that the m2903 250-kb small chromosome contains ld1 sequences and has an inverted repeat structure. the ld1 sequences and two cdnas (cdna2 and cdna53) were mapped on a cosmid contig, and the ...19989573393
isoenzyme characterization of leishmania isolated from human cases with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis from the state of campeche, yucatan peninsula, mexico.seventy-five isolates from the state of campeche, mexico, an area endemic for localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (lcl), were characterized by isoenzyme markers (glucose phosphate isomerase, mannose phospate isomerase, nucleoside hydrolase, phosphoglucomutase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase). seventy (93.3%) were identified as leishmania (leishmania) mexicana and 5 (6.7%) as l. (viannia) braziliensis. this is the first report of authochthonus human lcl caus ...19989574789
recombinant antigens for specific and sensitive serodiagnosis of latin american tegumentary leishmaniasis.the diagnostic potential of recombinant leishmanial antigens for latin american tegumentary leishmaniasis (latl) was examined. two leishmania (viannia) peruviana recombinant proteins, t26-u2 and t26-u4, were assessed by their reactivity to detect specific anti-leishmanial antibodies. seventy-eight individual sera from persons with latl, 39 from those with other diseases, and 10 negative control sera were tested by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. the sensitivity of the tes ...19979580116
in vitro stimulation of metacyclogenesis in leishmania braziliensis, l. donovani, l. major and l. mexicana.promastigotes of leishmania braziliensis, l. donovani, l. major and l. mexicana recently derived from tissue amastigotes were cultured in schneider's drosophila medium supplemented with 20% (v/v) heat-inactivated foetal calf serum and 25 micrograms gentamicin sulfate/ml at ph 5.5. these cultures produced more metacyclic promastigotes in their stationary-phase populations than others cultured at ph 7.0. metacyclic promastigotes possessed a short (< or = 8 microns) and narrow (< or = 1.5 microns) ...19989585932
detection of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis complex in wild mammals from colombian coffee plantations by pcr and dna hybridization.the small mammal fauna of coffee plantations in sw colombia was surveyed to determine which of the species present were infected with parasites of the leishmania (viannia) braziliensis complex and might therefore act as reservoirs of human cutaneous leishmaniasis. fifty animals of seven different species were captured. tissue samples were taken from the ears of specimens from each of the seven species. thirty three samples were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) using oligonucleotide pr ...19989588240
abundance of lutzomyia ovallesi but not lu. gomezi (diptera: psychodidae) correlated with cutaneous leishmaniasis incidence in north-central venezuela.in north-central venezuela lutzomyia gomezi and lu. ovallesi are the main endophilic/anthropophilic species of phlebotomine sandflies implicated as vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl). lutzomyia ovallesi has been found infected with leishmania braziliensis (1.2%) and less often with le. mexicana (0.07%), while le. braziliensis infections have also been found in lu. gomezi (0.47%). we investigated population densities of these sandflies using two sampling methods with four series of collectio ...19989622364
leishmania pifanoi amastigote antigen p-4: epitopes involved in t-cell responsiveness in human cutaneous leishmaniasis.in experimental murine cutaneous leishmaniasis, the purified leishmania pifanoi amastigote protein p-4 has been shown to induce significant protection against infection. further, recent studies examining the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) from leishmania braziliensis-infected human patients have demonstrated that the p-4 protein selectively elicits a significant th1-like response. because a th1-like response is associated with cure, epitope studies were conducted to furthe ...19989632572
a preliminary study aimed at the detection of leishmania parasites in subjects with cutaneous leishmaniasis using polymerase chain reaction.as a basic study for future diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis, we tried to detect leishmania parasites representing different species in the subgenera leishmania and viannia from subject patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis by using the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) with the subgenus viannia specific primer. four out of the 14 specimens revealed an amplified dna of 70 bp specific for the subgenus viannia (l. braziliensis complex). no bands were detected in the rest of the specimens belongi ...19989640881
american cutaneous leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) guyanensis as an initial clinical presentation of human immunodeficiency virus infection.the authors present the first report of leishmania (viannia) guyanensis (l.(v.) guyanenesis) associated with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) in a brazilian heterosexual man. it is also the first case of hiv infection associated with american cutaneous leishmaniasis in brazilian western amazonia. the patient had cutaneous and mucous lesions with a negative montenegro skin test. histopathology showed large numbers of amastigotes, even in a lesion which had clinically healed. l.(v.) guyanenesis ...19989643323
leishmaniasis of glans penis.leishmaniasis is an important protozoan disease. in the americas it is produced by several species of the genus leishmania, transmitted by sand flies of the genus lutzomyia. disease spectrum ranges from cutaneous ulceration to more serious involvement of oronasal mucosa that may progress to destruction of central structures of the face and to the life-threatening visceral forms. leishmania viannia braziliensis is the most widespread species in brazil and is often associated with mucosal involvem ...19989643325
generalized cutaneous leishmaniasis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.leishmaniasis associated with hiv/aids has been reported in the last decade.19989643326
treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with nitric-oxide donor. 19989643692
single-step multiplex pcr assay for characterization of new world leishmania complexes.we have developed a pcr assay for one-step differentiation of the three complexes of new world leishmania (leishmania braziliensis, leishmania mexicana, and leishmania donovani). this multiplex assay is targeted to the spliced leader rna (mini-exon) gene repeats of these organisms and can detect all three complexes simultaneously, generating differently sized products for each complex. the assay is specific to the leishmania genus and does not recognize related kinetoplastid protozoa, such as tr ...19989650950
relation between variation in copy number of ribosomal rna encoding genes and size of harbouring chromosomes in leishmania of subgenus viannia.chromosomal size polymorphism in leishmania of subgenus viannia has been correlated with eco-geography. the sizes of chromosomes bearing rdna genes were determined in 69 isolates. a considerable size-variation was observed, ranging from 1100 to 1500 kb. chromosomes of l.(v.). braziliensis, l.(v.)guyanensis and l.(v.) peruviana from northern peru were significantly larger (200 kb) than those of l.(v.) peruviana from southern peru. in addition, 31 out of 69 isolates presented each two different-si ...19989657327
cutaneous scars in american tegumentary leishmaniasis patients: a site of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis persistence and viability eleven years after antimonial therapy and clinical cure.two former patients treated for the cutaneous form of american tegumentary leishmaniasis were reviewed eight and 11 years, respectively, following clinical cure. we were able to isolate leishmania parasites in a culture of material from the two scar biopsies, and in one of them the parasite was characterized as leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. in both cases, the histopathology revealed discreet hyperceratosis and a slight infiltrate of mononuclear cells surrounding and on the walls of the surf ...19989660473
mucosal leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) panamensis in colombia: clinical characteristics.the leishmaniases are a group of diseases whose clinical presentation is in part determined by the infecting species. until recently, mucosal leishmaniasis was attributed exclusively to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis; however, the capacity of other species of the subgenus viannia to invade mucosal tissue has been documented. this report examines the clinical characteristics of 23 parasitologically diagnosed patients with mucosal leishmaniasis due to l. (v.) panamensis from the pacific coast o ...19989684627
epidemiologic, genetic, and clinical associations among phenotypically distinct populations of leishmania (viannia) in colombia.phenotypic characterization of 511 strains of leishmania, subgenus viannia, isolated from colombian patients was conducted based on electrophoretic polymorphisms of 13 isoenzymes. ninety-one colombian strains of l. braziliensis were the most heterogeneous, constituting seven zymodemes while 397 l. panamensis and 22 l. guyanensis strains yielded five and three zymodemes, respectively. phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, nucleoside hydrolase, and superoxide dismutase were the most polymorphic enzymes ...19989684634
immunologic patterns associated with cure in human american cutaneous leishmaniasis.patients with american cutaneous leishmaniasis were studied before therapy (active lesion) and at the end of therapy (cured patients). assays of lymphocyte proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced in vitro by leishmania braziliensis promastigote antigens (lb) were performed. antigen-stimulated cells were harvested for cd4 and cd8 phenotype analysis and the levels of gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) and interleukin 4 (il-4) produced were also determined in the culture sup ...19989686191
sensitivity of leishmania viannia panamensis to pentavalent antimony is correlated with the formation of cleavable dna-protein complexes.the emergence of leishmania less sensitive to pentavalent antimonial agents (sbvs), the report of inhibition of purified topoisomerase i of leishmania donovani by sodium stibogluconate (pentostam), and the uncertain mechanism of action of antimonial drugs prompted an evaluation of sbvs in the stabilization of cleavable complexes in promastigotes of leishmania (viannia). the effect of camptothecin, an inhibitor of topoisomerase, and additive-free meglumine antimoniate (glucantime) on the stabiliz ...19989687395
zymodeme and serodeme characterization of leishmania isolates obtained from costa rican patients.thirty-four leishmania isolates obtained from costa rican patients, from different geographical areas, were characterized by isoenzyme electrophoresis and indirect immunofluorescense with monoclonal antibodies. thirty-two were characterized as l. panamensis strains and two were l. braziliensis variants. we confirm the evident predominance of l. panamensis as the main etiological agent of leishmaniasis in costa rica and the existence of l. braziliensis in the country.19989698858
molecular and antigenic characterization of the leishmania (viannia) panamensis kinetoplastid membrane protein-11.the kinetoplastid membrane protein 11 (kmp-11) has been recently described in leishmania (leishmania) donovani as a major component of the promastigote membrane. two oligonucleotide primers were synthesized to pcr-amplify the entire encoding region of new world leishmania species. the leishmania (viannia) panamensis amplification product was clone, sequenced and the putative amino acid sequence determined. a remarkably high degree of sequence homology was observed with the corresponding molecule ...19989698903
detection of leishmania dna by polymerase chain reaction in scars of treated human patients.leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in developing countries. the efficacy of therapy is usually evaluated through clinical parameters. to define the parasitologic cure, 20 patients were biopsied before and 1 month to 8 years after treatment. paraffin-embedded tissue was used for dna isolation. all patients had a positive polymerase chain reaction (pcr) result before therapy, except 1, for whom no histopathologic material was available. the causative agent was identified as belonging to the leish ...19989728572
[treatment of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis with pentamidine isothionate].the mucocutaneous form of new world cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused, theoretically, by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. pentad valency antimonic compounds are widely used for treatment of new world cutaneous leishmaniasis. the rate of recurrence is often high when these drugs are used for mucocutaneous forms. pentamidine has been considered as a second line treatment although little data is available.19989747313
n-methylglucamine antimonate (sbv+): intralesional canine tegumentary leishmaniasis therapy.twenty five adult dogs of three municipalities of the state of rio de janeiro, brazil, that had been naturally infected by l. (v) braziliensis were treated with n-methylglucamine antimonate (glucantime). nine of the animals (36.0%) presented ulcerated skin lesions, twelve (48.0%) had mucosal lesions and four (16.0%) had multiple lesions. in some cases the mucosal lesions were associated to skin lesions. a dose of 85 mg sbv+ or 1 ml of the drug was intralesionally administered to the dogs. the an ...19989754314
a low-dose antimony treatment in 159 patients with american cutaneous leishmaniasis: extensive follow-up studies (up to 10 years).the efficacy of an antimony regimen at the dose of 20 mg/kg/day for a 3-4-week period is well established in the treatment of american cutaneous leishmaniasis. several drug side effects, however, have been described and the search for more suitable regimens is advisable. in the present paper, the effect of a low dose (5 mg/kg/day for 30 days) of antimony was evaluated in 159 individuals from endemic regions of rio de janeiro state, brazil, an area of leishmania (v.) braziliensis transmission. pa ...19979430521
cutaneous leishmaniasis in venezuela caused by infection with a new hybrid between leishmania (viannia) braziliensis and l. (v.) guyanensis. 19979566221
temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (tgge) analysis of riboprints from trypanosoma cruzi.to test the homogeneity of 18s sequences within trypanosoma cruzi, riboprint profiles were separated by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (tgge). upon interpretation of melting curves of fragments within a riboprint profile, there appeared to be two 18s sequence types within each stock examined. two similar types were also observed within outgroup taxa trypanosoma conorhini, trypanosoma rangeli and leishmania braziliensis. from dna hybridization studies, these fragments were shown to have ...19989774790
insulin-like growth factor i is a growth-promoting factor for leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes.leishmaniases are diseases caused by protozoa of the genus leishmania that affect more than 20 million people in the world. the initial phase of the infection is fundamental for either the progression or control of the disease. the leishmania parasites are injected in the skin as promastigotes and then, after been phagocytized by the host macrophages, rapidly transform into amastigotes. in this phase different nonspecific cellular and humoral elements participate. we have shown previously that i ...19989789067
clinical observations of unresponsive mucosal leishmaniasis.we report the long-term clinical follow-up of two patients with unresponsive mucosal leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis from the três braços area in bahia state, brazil. both were agricultural male workers with extensive upper respiratory mucosal involvement that was not cured with conventional and experimental therapy.19989790427
leishmania braziliensis: characterisation of a complex specific subtelomeric repeat sequence and its use in the detection of parasites.a 1.6-kb tandem repeat sequence had previously been identified in the subtelomeric region of mini- and megabase chromosomes from leishmania braziliensis. southern hybridisation was used to demonstrate that the repeat is complex specific. the sequence was characterised in strains representing four species of the l. braziliensis complex. this data allowed an assessment of the evolutionary relationship of the four species. pcr primers targeted to the repeat amplify only dna from species of the l. b ...19989806868
generation of the short rna transcript in leishmaniavirus correlates with the growth of its parasite host, leishmania.leishmaniavirus 1 is a double-stranded rna virus that infects the new world kinetoplastid parasites, leishmania braziliensis, and leishmania guyanensis. the isolated virus particles contain an rna-dependent rna polymerase which exhibits both transcriptase activity for genome-length plus-strand synthesis and replicase activity for genome-length minus-strand synthesis. recently, we identified a 320 nucleotide short rna transcript of leishmaniavirus 1-4, derived from the 5' end of the viral plus-st ...19989571632
comparative studies of the detection rates of leishmania parasites from formalin, ethanol-fixed, frozen human skin specimens by polymerase chain reaction and southern blotting.in this study, detection rates of leishmania parasites from human skin were compared among three different types of specimens, formalin-fixed, ethanol-fixed, and frozen, by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and southern blotting. for this purpose, we used biopsy specimens collected from 19 leishmaniasis patients and performed pcr and southern hybridization with the probe specific for leishmania (viannia) braziliensis complex. among these 19, 16 specimens were from cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl), one ...19989830259
a novel antiprotozoal aminosteroid from saracha punctata.a new aminosteroid, 3beta-amino-22,26-epiminocholest-5-ene named sarachine (1), and two known flavonoids, eriodictyol (2) and 7-o-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-eriodictyol (3), were isolated from the leaves of saracha punctata. the alkaloid was found to inhibit the growth of leishmania braziliensis promastigotes (100% at 25 microm) and of trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes in culture (50% at 25 microm) and showed a strong in vitro antiplasmodial activity with an ic50 of 25 nm.19989834160
analysis of the antigenic properties of the l. infantum hsp70: design of synthetic peptides for specific serodiagnosis of human leishmaniasis.the 70-kda heat shock protein (hsp70) is a major target of the humoral immune response during leishmania infections. in the present paper, it is shown that 84.6% of sera from mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (mcl) patients and 78.9% of sera from visceral leishmaniasis (vl) patients reacted with the l. infantum hsp70. the mapping of the antigenic determinants indicated that this protein is highly rich in linear b-epitopes. as the complete protein cannot be used for specific serodiagnosis of vl because ...19989840686
[treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis with aminosidine sulfate: results of two year follow-up].in 1996, 20 of 21 patients with mucosal leishmaniasis, treated in 1994 with aminosidine sulfate, 16mg/kg/day salt, by intramuscular injection for 20 days, were clinically evaluated. one patient died due to disease not related to mucosal leishmaniasis. seven of 14 patients (66.7% n = 21) who achieved complete remission three months after treatment remained clinically cured 24 months later and seven relapsed in the same period (50% n = 14). sorological follow-up showed poor correlation with the re ...19989859693
lutzomyia nuneztovari anglesi (diptera: psychodidae) as a probable vector of leishmania braziliensis in the yungas, bolivia. 19989879740
comparison of chromosome and isoenzyme polymorphism in geographical populations of leishmania (viannia) peruviana.five chromosomes and 17 isoenzyme loci were analysed in 4 allopatric populations of leishmania (viannia) peruviana, and molecular distances calculated with 2 estimators, chromosomal size difference index and jaccard distance. chromosome and isoenzyme data were in overall concordance: 13/30 isolates clustered similarly on the dendrograms constructed from the different estimators, and a significant correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between the molecular distances calculated from the two sets of ...19989881379
permissiveness of human monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages to infection by promastigotes of leishmania (viannia) panamensis.during natural infections, leishmania is in contact with a variety of mononuclear phagocytic cells in different tissues, including resident macrophages and monocytes mobilized to the site of infection from the bone marrow and blood circulation. because the functional capabilities of fully differentiated macrophages and blood monocytes differ, the outcome of infection by leishmania may depend upon the stage of differentiation of the host cells. to address this question, we evaluated leishmania pa ...19989920322
further evidence of humans as source of leishmania viannia for sandflies. 19989921293
in vitro promastigote fitness of putative leishmania (viannia) braziliensis/leishmania (viannia) peruviana hybrids.in order to initiate studies on the phenotypic properties of hybrids vs. their putative parents, the in vitro growth behaviour of promastigotes was compared for 15 stocks characterised as leishmania (viannia) braziliensis, leishmania (viannia) peruviana and putative hybrids (isolated from the eastern andean valley of huanuco, peru). five sets of three stocks, each set including a l.(v.)braziliensis, a l.(v.)peruviana and a putative hybrid, were constituted randomly and counted daily close to iso ...19999924965
putative reservoirs of leishmania amazonensis in a sub-andean focus of bolivia identified by kdna-polymerase chain reaction. 199910029903
resolution of an infection with leishmania braziliensis confers complete protection to a subsequent challenge with leishmania major in balb/c mice.both leishmania major and l. braziliensis induce cutaneous leishmaniasis in balb/c mice. whereas balb/c mice die of infection with l. major, they cure an infection with l. braziliensis. we report here that after curing an infection with l. braziliensis, balb/c mice are resistant to challenge with l. major. when challenged with l. major, l. braziliensis pre-treated balb/c mice mounted a delayed-type hypersensitivity response to l. major and produced high amounts of interferon-gamma (ifn-gamma) bu ...199910029914
reproducibility of alkaline antigens of leishmania major-like and leishmania (v.) braziliensis evaluated by igg-elisa. comparison of antigens added of a protein inhibitor (pmsf) or not.this paper deals with the analysis of 10 batches of l.major-like and l. (v.) braziliensis antigens added or not of a proteases inhibitor evaluated by means of an igg-elisa on three consecutive days using positive standard sera from patients with diagnosis of american leishmaniasis previously tested for the presence of igg antibodies by means of elisa. the statistical analysis showed that for l. (v.) braziliensis the pmsf-containing antigen did not show any difference among batches or days of tes ...199810030072
evaluation of the stability and immunogenicity of autoclaved and nonautoclaved preparations of a vaccine against american tegumentary leishmaniasis.this study was designed to evaluate the immunogenicity of autoclaved and nonautoclaved preparations of a vaccine composed of whole antigens from killed promastigotes of leishmania amazonensis. leishmanin skin-test (lst)-negative volunteers were immunized with either autoclaved or nonautoclaved vaccine preparations (32 and 36 subjects, respectively) that had been maintained at 4 degrees c for one year before the onset of this trial. immunological tests were performed two days before and 40 days a ...199910195630
pcr detection and identification of leishmania parasites in clinical specimens in ecuador: a comparison with classical diagnostic methods.a simplified polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-based assay was used for detection and typing of leishmania parasites in clinical specimens from patients suspected of cutaneous leishmaniasis. using cultures as the reference standard, our pcr detection method was more sensitive (92%) than classical diagnostic techniques, including microscopy (42% sensitivity), histologic staining (33%), and igg enzyme-linked immunosorbent (20%). the pcr assay was also 100% specific. parasites in both lesion biopsies ...199910219292
sensitivity to glucantime of leishmania viannia isolated from patients prior to treatment.in vitro sensitivity to pentavalent antimony (sbv) as meglumine antimoniate (glucantime) of leishmania of the viannia subgenus isolated prior to treatment from patients with uncomplicated cutaneous leishmaniasis was evaluated for intracellular amastigotes in the u-937 human monocytic cell line and log phase promastigotes. the 50% effective dose (ed50) of pharmaceutical and additive-free formulations of glucantime were determined based on the kinetics of the response of leishmania viannia to sbv ...199910219320
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis is the predominant species infecting patients with american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of minas gerais, southeast brazil.skin biopsies from 53 patients with american cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) from the state of minas gerais, brazil, were used for a characterization of the leishmania parasites. a pair of primers flanking the conserved region of the leishmania minicircle kdna was used to obtain amplified dna via the polymerase chain reaction. the amplified products were subsequently hybridized with leishmania subgenus-specific radiolabeled probes. parasites from 49 out of 53 samples (92.5%) were characterized as ...199910232781
tumour necrosis factor alpha and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.allelic associations between polymorphisms at the tumour necrosis factor (tnf) locus within the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) and susceptibility to a range of autoimmune and infectious diseases have been established in humans. among these is the severe and debilitating mucocutaneous form of leishmaniasis (mcl) caused by leishmania braziliensis. this was preempted by the demonstration of high levels of circulating tnf-alpha in the sera of patients presenting with clinical mucocutaneous d ...199910234190
leishmania (viannia) panamensis/leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis--a warning. 199910234193
use of pcr in diagnosis of human american tegumentary leishmaniasis in rio de janeiro, brazil.in brazil, the most common etiological agent of american tegumentary leishmaniasis is leishmania (viannia) braziliensis. in general, diagnostic techniques envisage the visualization of the parasite, but that technique has a low sensitivity. the main purpose of the present work was to evaluate the pcr as a routine tool for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. biopsy specimens from cutaneous or mucosal lesions were taken from 230 individuals from areas where leishmania is endemic: 216 patients who had ...199910325330
kinetoplast minicircle dna from leishmania (viannia) lainsoni.to investigate the phenomenon that pcr of leishmania (v.) lainsoni minicircles using primers b1 and b2 gives anomalous small-sized products, unlike all other members of the leishmania viannia subgenus, cloned kdna minicircles from l. (viannia) lainsoni were sequenced using fluorescent dye terminator reactions. the sequence of l. (v.) lainsoni where the primer b2 would be expected to bind, was different from the other members of the l. viannia subgenus, matching in only 7 out of 19 bases with the ...199910340327
energy-dependent efflux from leishmania promastigotes of substrates of the mammalian multidrug resistance pumps.we demonstrated the existence of three transport activities in promastigotes of leishmania braziliensis, leishmania guyanensis, and leishmania mexicana. the first activity, an energy-dependent efflux of pirarubicin, was observed in all leishmania species and inhibited by verapamil, by 2-[4-(diphenylmethyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl-5-(trans-4,6-dimethyl-1, 3,2-dioxaphosphorinan-2-yl)-2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-3-py ridinecarboxylate p oxide (pak104p) and by the phenothiazine derivatives: thioridaz ...199910376995
pcr-elisa for diagnosis of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.in this work we demonstrate that the pcr-elisa technique is sufficiently sensitive and specific for use as a diagnostic test in cases of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. dna was extracted from cultures of leishmania braziliensis, leishmania infantum, leishmania tropica, leishmania mexicana, trypanosoma cruzi, and blood samples from individuals who presented a clinical diagnosis of leishmaniasis as well as from healthy individuals. the dna was pcr amplified and the product obtained was hybridised wit ...199910379813
minicircle variable region probes for characterization of leishmania (viannia) species.the minicircle molecules present in the kinetoplast dna (kdna) network constitute a particularly useful molecular tool because they are a multicopy target and present a variable region that differs among minicircle classes in the same network. using the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and a set of primers directed outwardly from the minicircle conserved region, it is possible to prepare molecular probes representing the pool of variable regions from the different minicircle classes in the kdna. ...199910386456
size-polymorphism of mini-exon gene-bearing chromosomes among natural populations of leishmania, subgenus viannia.in order to explore genomic plasticity at the level of the mini-exon gene-bearing chromosome in natural populations of leishmania, the molecular karyotype of 84 leishmania stocks belonging to subgenus viannia, originating mostly from peru and bolivia, and differing according to eco-geographical and clinical parameters, was resolved and hybridised with a mini-exon probe. the results suggest that size variation of the mini-exon gene-bearing chromosome is frequent and important (up to 245-kb size-d ...199910428631
sensitivity of a vacuum aspiratory culture technique for diagnosis of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic area of leishmania (viannia) braziliensis transmission.sixty eight patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis from an area with leishmania (viannia) braziliensis transmission had cultures performed with a modified marzochís vacuum aspiratory puncture technique to establish sensitivity and contamination rate with this new method. overall sensitivity of three aspirates was 47.1%; (ci95% 39.4; 59.4) significantly greater than the sensitivity of a single one aspirate. fungal contamination was observed in 6/204 (2.9%) inoculated culture tubes. we re ...199910446010
sensitivity of lymph node aspiration in localized cutaneous leishmaniasis due to leishmania (viannia) braziliensis.twenty nine patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis had lymph node and skin ulcer aspirations for culture of leishmania with the modified marzochís vacuum aspiratory technique. sensitivity of lymph node aspiration was 58.6% and 34.5% for skin ulcer aspiration (p=0.06). combined sensitivity of the two methods was 79.3%. there was no agreement between methods (kappa index = -0.084; ci95% -0,45; 0,28) showing the potential complementary roles in diagnostic approach.199910446011
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