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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 12 1997, 3043-3047, Vol 35, No. 12
DM Isaza, M Restrepo and W Mosca
Sera from 86 Colombian patients with parasitologically confirmed cutaneous
leishmaniasis were studied by immunoblot analysis in order to identify a
specific pattern for Leishmania infection. A soluble extract of Leishmania
panamensis was used as the antigen. Sera from patients with Chagas' disease
and sera from patients with no record of infection with trypanosomatids
were also studied. The sera from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis
specifically recognized fractions of 120 kDa (76.7%), 123 and 129 kDa
(69.7%), 138 kDa (61.6%), 141 kDa (53.4%), and 78 kDa (44.1%). No band
common to all patients infected with Leishmania parasites was found at the
time of diagnosis. Likewise, the pattern of immunoblot change after the
patients were treated and apparently cured with meglumine antimoniate
(Glucantime) was studied by evaluating sera pretreatment and 1 year
posttreatment. Only minor changes in the color intensity at the same serum
dilution between pre- and posttreatment sera were found, although the
antibody titers by indirect immunofluorescence were negative for the
posttreatment sample. This study shows that Western blot analysis is a more
sensitive test for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies. However,
the importance of whether the presence of antibodies correlates with the
presence of Leishmania antigens could not be resolved by the data obtained
from this study.
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Immunoblot analysis of Leishmania panamensis antigens in sera of patients with American cutaneous leishmaniasis [In Process Citation]
Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Medellin, Columbia. icmt@janua.upb.edu.co
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