[leish-l] Fwd: Articles found by RefScout for your requests

[jeffreyj at usp.br]

RefScout has given me permission to circulate the article lists that their
system finds. I hope you find them useful.
Kindest regards
Jeffrey Shaw

This is RefScout-Newsletter 31/2004

REQUEST: [ leishmaniasis ]

(20 articles match this request. 2 articles matching other requests removed)



PMID: 15271911
 

TITLE: Intranasal Vaccination against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis with a
Particulated Leishmanial Antigen or DNA Encoding LACK.

AUTHORS: Eduardo Fonseca Pinto, Roberta Olmo Pinheiro, Alice Rayol, Vicente
Larraga, Bartira Rossi-Bergmann

AFFILIATION: Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal
do Rio de Janeiro, 21.949-900 Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil. bartira at biof.ufrj.br

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4521-7

We have previously demonstrated that oral delivery of a disease-
promoting particulated antigen of Leishmania amazonensis (LaAg) 
partially protects mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis. In the present 
work, we sought to optimize a mucosal vaccine by using the intranasal 
route for delivery of different antigen preparations, including (i) LaAg
, (ii) soluble recombinant p36/LACK leishmanial antigen (LACK), and (iii
) plasmid DNA encoding LACK (LACK DNA). BALB/c mice that received two 
intranasal doses of 10 microg of LaAg and were challenged 1 week 
postvaccination with L. amazonensis developed delayed but effective 
control of lesion growth. A diminished parasite burden was accompanied 
by enhancement of both gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-10 
levels in the lesion-draining lymph nodes. The vaccine efficacy improved
 with time. At 4 months postvaccination, when a strong parasite-specific
 TH1-type response was present in vivo, the infection was controlled for
 at least 5 months after challenge. In contrast to the particulated LaAg
, soluble LACK (10 microg/dose) had no effect. Interestingly, LACK DNA (
30 microg/dose), but not empty DNA, promoted rapid and durable 
protective immunity. Parasite growth was effectively controlled, and at 
5 months after challenge LACK-reactive cells in both the mucosal and 
lesion-draining lymph nodes produced high levels of IFN-gamma. These 
results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of using the 
intranasal route for long-lived memory vaccination against cutaneous 
leishmaniasis with adjuvant-free crude antigens or DNA.








PMID: 15262002
 

TITLE: Assessment of an optimized dog-culling program in the dynamics of canine
Leishmania transmission.

AUTHORS: Edson Duarte Moreira, Verena Maria Mendes De Souza, Meera Sreenivasan,
Eliane Góes Nascimento, Lain Pontes De Carvalho

AFFILIATION: Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua
Waldemar Falcão 121, Salvador, Bahia CEP 40295-001, Brazil.

REFERENCE: Vet Parasitol 2004 Aug 122(4):245-52

In Brazil, zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) control programs based 
on the mass elimination of seropositive dogs have failed to reduce the 
number of leishmaniasis cases. However, these programs have been done 
under sub-optimal conditions. We studied a cohort of dogs in an urban 
area in Brazil to determine, whether a dog-culling program optimized 
with: (i) replacement of a relatively low-sensitivity indirect immune-
fluorescent test on blood eluate by a more sensitive enzyme-linked 
immunosorbent assay on serum blood samples; (ii) shortening of the time 
interval from serodiagnosis to removal of dogs; (iii) screening a high 
proportion of the dog population could reduce the incidence of canine 
Leishmania infection (CLI). The study ran from December 1997 to July 
2000, with four follow-up assessments performed at approximately 8-month
 intervals. All dogs seropositive for anti-Leishmania antibodies were 
promptly eliminated. A large number of new dogs immigrated to the study 
area throughout the study period. They comprised 43.8-49.8% of the 
cohort at each follow-up assessment, and upto 15% of them already had 
Leishmania infection. Overall, 42 news cases of CLI were identified, for
 a crude incidence rate of 11.8 cases per 100 dog-years (95% CI 8.6-15.6
). In the first, second, third and fourth follow-up assessments the 
incidence rates were 8.2 (95% CI 3.0-17.9), 12.2 (95% CI 6.3-21.2), 16.4
 (95% CI 8.5-28.6) and 13.6 (95% CI 7.1-23.8), respectively. There was 
no statistically significant change in these rates throughout the study 
period. Our results suggest that dog-culling programs do not reduce the 
incidence of CLI, even with an optimized intervention. Possible reasons 
for this failure include: currently available serologic methods lack 
sufficient sensitivity and/or specificity to accurately identify all 
infected dogs warranting removal in order to prevent Leishmania 
transmission; destroyed dogs are immediately replaced by susceptible 
puppies, and quite often, by already infected dogs; and other reservoirs
 may be involved in maintaining canine infection. Further efforts on ZVL
 control should be directed to developing new strategies or to testing 
control methods already in place with properly designed trials.




PMID: 15271920
 

TITLE: Inbred Strains Derived from Feral Mice Reveal New Pathogenic Mechanisms
of Experimental Leishmaniasis Due to Leishmania major.

AUTHORS: Besma E C Babay, Hechmi Louzir, Chahnaz Kebaïer, Samir Boubaker,
Koussay Dellagi, Pierre-André Cazenave

AFFILIATION: Unité d'Immunophysiopathologie Infectieuse, CNRS URA 1961,
Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
cazenave at pasteur.fr

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4603-11

Two inbred mouse strains, derived from feral founders, are susceptible 
to experimental leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major and support a 
disease of a severity intermediate between those observed in strains 
C57BL/6 and BALB/c. Mice of the MAI strain develop a severe, nonhealing
, but nonfatal disease with no resistance to a secondary parasite 
challenge. The immunological responses showed a TH2 dominance 
characterized by an early peak of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13. 
However, neutralization of IL-4, which leads to a resistance phenotype 
in BALB/c mice, has no effect on disease progression in MAI mice. Mice 
of strain PWK develop a protracted but self-healing disease, 
characterized by a mixed TH1-plus-TH2 pattern of immune responses in 
which IL-10 plays an aggravating role, and acquire resistance to a 
secondary challenge. These features are close to those observed in human
 cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major and make PWK mice a suitable 
model for the human disease.




PMID: 15269771
 

TITLE: Transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis by sand flies is enhanced by
regurgitation of fPPG.

AUTHORS: Matthew E Rogers, Thomas Ilg, Andrei V Nikolaev, Michael A J Ferguson,
Paul A Bates

AFFILIATION: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool,
Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.

REFERENCE: Nature 2004 Jul 430(6998):463-7

Sand flies are the exclusive vectors of the protozoan parasite 
Leishmania, but the mechanism of transmission by fly bite has not been 
determined nor incorporated into experimental models of infection. In 
sand flies with mature Leishmania infections the anterior midgut is 
blocked by a gel of parasite origin, the promastigote secretory gel. 
Here we analyse the inocula from Leishmania mexicana-infected Lutzomyia 
longipalpis sand flies. Analysis revealed the size of the infectious 
dose, the underlying mechanism of parasite delivery by regurgitation, 
and the novel contribution made to infection by filamentous 
proteophosphoglycan (fPPG), a component of promastigote secretory gel 
found to accompany the parasites during transmission. Collectively these
 results have important implications for understanding the relationship 
between the parasite and its vector, the pathology of cutaneous 
leishmaniasis in humans and also the development of effective vaccines 
and drugs. These findings emphasize that to fully understand 
transmission of vector-borne diseases the interaction between the 
parasite, its vector and the mammalian host must be considered together.




PMID: 15263027
 

TITLE: Role for CD4+ CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in Reactivation of Persistent
Leishmaniasis and Control of Concomitant Immunity.

AUTHORS: Susana Mendez, Stacie K Reckling, Ciriacco A Piccirillo, David Sacks,
Yasmine Belkaid

AFFILIATION: Division of Molecular Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Ave., TCHRF 1565, Cincinnati, OH 45229.
yasmine.belkaid at cchmc.org

REFERENCE: J Exp Med 2004 Jul 200(2):201-10

Reactivation of dormant infections causes an immense burden of morbidity
 and mortality in the world at large. Reactivation can occur as a result
 of immunosuppression, environmental insult, or aging; however, the 
cause of reactivation of such infections is often not clear. We have 
previously shown that persistence of the parasite Leishmania major is 
controlled by endogenous CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T (T reg) cells. In 
this report, we show that despite efficient parasite clearance at 
secondary sites of infection, Leishmania superinfection can cause 
disease reactivation at the primary site. Our results strongly suggest 
that T reg cells, whose numbers increase in sites of reactivation, are 
directly responsible for such reactivation. Depletion of CD25(+) cells 
at the time of secondary challenge prevented disease reactivation at the
 site of persistent infection while strengthening the expression of 
immunity at the site of secondary challenge. Finally, transfer of T reg 
cells purified from infected mice into chronically infected mice was 
sufficient to trigger disease reactivation and prevent the expression of
 an effector memory response. Our results demonstrate that after 
persistence is achieved, an equilibrium between T reg cells and effector
 lymphocytes, which can be disturbed by superinfection, controls the 
efficiency of recall immune responses and disease reactivation.




PMID: 15225352
 

TITLE: Visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in a Spanish
patient
in Argentina: What is the origin of the infection? Case report.

AUTHORS: Joaquina Martín-Sánchez, José M Navarro-Mari, Juan Pasquau-Liaño,
Oscar D Salomón, Francisco Morillas-Márquez

AFFILIATION: Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus
Universitario de Cartuja 18,071, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
joaquina at ugr.es

REFERENCE: BMC Infect Dis 2004 Jun 4(1):20

BACKGROUND: The question "Where have you been?" is a common one asked by
 doctors in Northern Europe and America when faced with clinical 
symptoms not typical of their country. This question must also arise in 
the clinics of developing countries in which non-autochthonous cases 
such as the one described here can appear. Important outbreaks of 
Leishmania infantum have been recorded in the last decade in several 
Latin American countries but its presence has not yet been recorded in 
Argentina. We report the first case of visceral leishmaniasis owing to L
. infantum in this country. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old Spanish 
woman who has been living in Mendoza, Argentina, during the last 40 
years presented with a history of high fever and shivering, anemia, 
leukopenia and splenomegaly over two years. Argentinian doctors did not 
suspect visceral leishmaniasis even when the histological analysis 
revealed the presence of "intracytoplasmatic spheroid particles 
compatible with fungal or parasitic infection". After a serious 
deterioration in her health, she was taken to Spain where she was 
evaluated and visceral leishmaniasis was established. Specific 
identification of the parasite was done by PCR-ELISA, isoenzyme 
electrophoresis and RAPD-PCR. CONCLUSION: We would like to point out 
that: i) cases such as the one described here, which appear in non-
endemic areas, can pass unnoticed by the clinical physician. ii) in 
countries in which these introduced cases reside, in-depth 
parasitological studies are required into vectors and possible 
reservoirs to rule out the rare case of local infection and, once 
infection has taken place, to ensure that this does not spread by 
anthroponotic transmission or a competent reservoir.




PMID: 15266395
 

TITLE: Diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis by PCR using blood samples
spotted on filter paper.

AUTHORS: Eduardo Sergio Da Silva, Célia Maria Ferreira Gontijo, Raquel Da
Silva
Pacheco, Reginaldo Peçanha Brazil

AFFILIATION: Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Fundação Educacional de
Divinópolis, Av. Paraná s/n, Campus Universitário, 35500-970 Divinópolis,
MG, Brasil biologia at funedi.edu.br

REFERENCE: Genet Mol Res 2004 Jun 3(2):251-7

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a simple, rapid procedure that 
has been adapted for the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. In the present 
study, 85 blood samples and seven bone marrow aspirates from 85 patients
 with clinical symptoms suggestive of visceral leishmaniasis from the 
metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte in the Brazilian State of Minas 
Gerais were screened using molecular and serological techniques. Samples
 that were negative (N = 12) and positive (N = 19) in parasitological 
and serological tests were used as controls. Of the 85 samples analyzed 
by PCR, 61 (71.7%) showed the expected amplification products in agarose
 gels. However, when the technique was combined with molecular 
hybridization, 72 samples (83.5%) gave a positive signal on film. 
Nineteen patients with Leishmania parasites in bone marrow cultures (
positive controls) showed PCR hybridization in whole-blood samples, as 
did the seven bone marrow aspirates positive for Leishmania. None of the
 negative controls reacted in PCR or in an indirect immunofluorescent 
assay. These results indicate that PCR could replace the conventional 
parasitological examination in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis since it 
provides very satisfactory results with blood samples spotted on filter 
paper.




PMID: 15270099
 

TITLE: The human cytokine response to Leishmania major early after exposure to
the parasite in vitro.

AUTHORS: Kathleen A Rogers, Richard G Titus

AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of
Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort
Collins, Colorado 80523-1619, USA.

REFERENCE: J Parasitol 2004 Jun 90(3):557-63

Leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania spp. In 
murine leishmaniasis, a T helper cell type-I (Th1) response, 
characterized by the secretion of interferon (IFN)-gamma is necessary 
for clearing the infection. whereas a Th2 response, accompanied by the 
production of interleukin (IL)-5, can exacerbate the disease. Moreover, 
the early cytokine milieu is thought to play an important role in 
determining the outcome of infection. In human leishmaniasis little is 
known about this early cytokine response. Because of this, we cocultured
 human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with Leishmania major 
in vitro and measured the production of IFN-gamma, IL-5, and IL-10. We 
also treated PBMC cultures with various cytokines and neutralizing 
anticytokines. We found that the principal cytokine produced was IFN-
gamma and that its production was regulated by IL-10 and IL-12. In 
contrast, only low levels of Th2 cytokines such as IL-5 were produced. 
Therefore, the Th1-Th2 dichotomy that exists in inbred strains of mice 
does not appear to apply to the response of humans to L. major. Rather, 
Th2 cytokines may play a role in regulating IFN-gamma production.








PMID: 15270002
 

TITLE: Diversity and species composition of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae)
in
a Venezuelan urban focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

AUTHORS: E Rojas, J V Scorza, G Morales, C Morales, R Barazarte, A Torres

AFFILIATION: Universidad de Los Andes, Núcleo Universitario Rafael Rangel,
Avenida Medina Angarita, Frente al Parque Los Ilustres, Trujillo 3102 A,
Venezuela.

REFERENCE: J Am Mosq Control Assoc 2004 Jun 20(2):189-94

The present study examined the spatial and temporal abundance and 
diversity of phlebotomine sand flies in an area of Venezuela that is an 
ancient focus of leishmaniasis. The study was conducted in 6 stations in
 urban localities in Trujillo City, located in northwestern Venezuela (9
 degrees 22' 24" N, 70 degrees 26' 08" W), which is located in a 
mountain range in the Andean ecoregion (altitude = 600-1,010 m). During 
1995-99, entomological surveys were conducted after and before the rainy
 season. Shannon light traps were operated from 1800 to 2000 h in 
peridomestic site trap locations. Twelve species were captured, and 
Lutzomyia youngi, L. ovallesi, L. scorzai, L. gomezi, L. lichyi, and L. 
shannoni occurred at all localities in each year. The abundance of these
 species showed low variation over time but high variation between 
localities. The Sørensen similarity index, used to compare diversity 
between years within each locality, ranged from 0.60 at Carmona to 0.84 
at La Hacienda. Sand fly communities exhibited annual variation in 
species richness and diversity. Variations were affected more by changes
 in species abundance than by changes in species composition. Lutzomyia 
ovallesi, L. lichyi, and L. scorzai had the highest coefficient of 
variation between years (63, 38, and 23%, respectively).




PMID: 15258513
 

TITLE: [Late onset of a chronic septic granulomatous disease]

AUTHORS: M Kharfi, R Benmously, A Khaled, B Daoued, M-R Kamoun

AFFILIATION: Service de Dermatologie, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisie.
monia.kharfi at rns.tn

REFERENCE: Ann Dermatol Venereol 2004 Apr 131(4):375-8

INTRODUCTION: Chronic septic granulomatosis is a disease characterized 
by an impaired bactericidal potential of the neutrophilic polynuclear. 
The cutaneous manifestations rarely reveal the disease, but are of 
considerable interest in the diagnosis, notably during the late onset 
forms. We report such a case. CASE REPORT: A 15 year-old girl, born of 
consanguine parents, had a history of visceral leishmaniasis and hepatic
 hydatidosis. For the past 3 years she had developed dermatitis lesion 
on the face and skin folds, chronic folliculitis and suppurating 
axillary and inguinal lymphoadenitis. The absence of a reduction in 
tetrazolium nitro blue led to the diagnosis of chronic septic 
granulomatosis. Prophylactic treatment stabilized the cutaneous lesions
. DISCUSSION: Chronic septic granulomatosis regroups various severe and 
recurrent manifestations. Its transmission is usually X-linked recessive
 or, on rare occasions, autosomal recessive. The clinical manifestations
 leading to the diagnosis are often of very early onset. They are 
principally pneumonia due to apergillus fumigatus and lymphoadenitis. 
Cutaneous involvement, although less common, must not be neglected 
because it can lead to the diagnosis of late onset forms, as in our 
patient.




PMID: 15009885
 

TITLE: Localization and activity of multidrug resistance protein 1 in the
secretory pathway of Leishmania parasites.

AUTHORS: Matthew A Dodge, Ross F Waller, Larry M C Chow, Muhammad M Zaman,
Leanne M Cotton, Malcolm J McConville, Dyann F Wirth

AFFILIATION: Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School
of
Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

REFERENCE: Mol Microbiol 2004 Mar 51(6):1563-75

Upregulation of the multidrug resistance protein 1 (LeMDR1) in the 
protozoan parasite, Leishmania enriettii, confers resistance to 
hydrophobic drugs such as vinblastine, but increases the sensitivity of 
these parasites to the mitochondrial drug, rhodamine 123. In order to 
investigate the mechanism of action of LeMDR1, the subcellular 
localization of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged versions of 
LeMDR1 and the fate of the traceable-fluorescent LeMDR1 substrate 
calcein AM were examined in both Leishmania mexicana and L. enriettii 
LeMDR1 -/- and overexpressing cell lines. The LeMDR1-GFP chimera was 
localized by fluorescence microscopy to a number of secretory and 
endocytic compartments, including the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic 
reticulum (ER) and a multivesicular tubule (MVT)-lysosome. Pulse-chase 
labelling experiments with calcein AM suggested that the Golgi and ER 
pools, but not the MVT-lysosome pool, of LeMDR1 were active in pumping 
calcein AM out of the cell. Cells labelled with calcein AM under 
conditions that slow vesicular transport (low temperature and stationary
 growth) inhibited export and resulted in the accumulation of 
fluorescent calcein in both the Golgi and the mitochondria. We propose 
that LeMDR1 substrates are pumped into secretory compartments and 
exported from the parasite by exocytosis. Accumulation of MDR substrates
 in the ER can result in alternative transport to the mitochondrion, 
explaining the reciprocal sensitivity of drug-resistant Leishmania to 
vinblastine and rhodamine 123.




PMID: 15263984
 

TITLE: [Eco-epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Buriticupu, Amazon
region
of Maranhão State, Brazil, 1996-1998]

AUTHORS: Luzenice Macedo Martins, José Manuel Macário Rebêlo, Márcio Costa
Fernandes Vaz dos Santos, Jackson Maurício Lopes Costa, Antonio Rafael da
Silva, Luiz Alves Ferreira

AFFILIATION: Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brasil.

REFERENCE: Cad Saude Publica 2004 May-Jun 20(3):735-43

This study presents the distribution of leishmaniasis in the town of 
Buriticupu, Maranhão, Brazil, by month, season, occupation, gender, and
 age from 1996 to 1998. These data were compared with those on sand 
flies obtained by other authors during the same period. The disease 
affected all age groups, in the following order: 0-5 years (4.1%), 6-10
 (7.1%), 11-15 (13.6%), 16-21 (20.8%), 22-30 (21.1%), and > 30 (33.3%). 
The disease predominantly affected males (70.1%) and agricultural 
workers (52.5%), followed by students (17.7%), and domestic workers (16.
0%). Like the sand fly vector, the disease was distributed throughout 
the year, but the greatest concentration of cases was recorded in the 
dry season (58.5%), while sand flies presented bimodal peaks in the 
first two years and occurred more frequently in the rainy season in 1998
. The disease continues to present the same characteristics as in the 
past, but there was a proportional increase in cases among children and 
females, suggesting transmission in the anthropic environment.




PMID: 15259464
 

TITLE: Detection of circulating Leishmania chagasi DNA for the non-invasive
diagnosis of human infection.

AUTHORS: J Disch, F C Maciel, M C de Oliveira, M Orsini, A Rabello

AFFILIATION: Laboratrio de Pesquisas Clínicas, Centro de Pesquisas René
Rachou-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil. jolandt at cpqrr.fiocruz.br

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):391-5

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of Leishmania 
spp. DNA in peripheral blood was optimized and evaluated for the 
diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil during May 2001
 to December 2002. Optimization of the technique resulted in a detection
 limit of 1.65 fg of purified L. (L.) chagasi DNA, equivalent to 1.65 x 
10(-2) parasites. Leishmania DNA was detected in the blood of 48 of 53 
patients with parasitologically-confirmed VL, which corresponds to a 
sensitivity of 91%. No DNA was detected in the peripheral blood of 15 
healthy, non-exposed volunteers, giving a specificity of 100%. We 
conclude that detection of parasite DNA in peripheral blood offers a non
-invasive, sensitive and rapid method for the detection of VL caused by 
L. (L.) chagasi.




PMID: 15259483
 

TITLE: Antileishmanial antibodies in an outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis in
eastern Sudan: high antibody responses occur in resistant subjects and are not
predictive of disease.

AUTHORS: B Buchetont, S H El-Safi, A Hammad, M M Kheir, N Eudes, A Mirgani, A J
Dessein, C Mary

AFFILIATION: Unité INSERM U399, Faculté de Médecine de la Timone, 27
Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille, France. bucheton at mpl.ird.fr

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):463-8

A 3-year longitudinal survey was carried out from 1998 to 2000 in a 
village in eastern Sudan where a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) outbreak 
occurred. Leishmania-specific antibodies were analysed by enzyme-linked 
immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. Immunoblot analysis detected 
antibodies to Leishmania in 80% of the healthy subjects and half of them
 harboured high immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody levels, similar to those 
of VL patients. These antibodies belonged to the IgG1 and IgG3 
subclasses but neither their respective levels nor the immunoblot 
recognition patterns were predictive of VL. During this epidemic, a 
large proportion of subjects had a high antileishmanial antibody 
response, indicating that they were infected by Leishmania though most 
of them remained healthy during the whole study period. These results 
obtained in the context of an outbreak contrast with those obtained from
 studies performed in endemic areas characterized by lower parasite 
transmission levels. Furthermore, the clinical and serological follow-up
 of our study subjects showed that VL occurred mainly in subjects who 
had been serologically positive for 5-24 months rather than resulting 
from primo infection by the parasite.




PMID: 15259478
 

TITLE: New World cutaneous leishmaniasis in returned travellers: treatment
failures using intravenous sodium stibogluconate.

AUTHORS: S D Lawn, V Yardley, F Vega-Lopez, J Watson, D N Lockwood

AFFILIATION: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Mortimer Market Centre, Capper
Street, London WC1E 6AU, UK. stevelawn at yahoo.co.uk

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):443-5

Treatment outcome was determined among a cohort of travellers who 
returned to the UK between February 2000 and February 2001 with New 
World cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by species of the Leishmania (
Viannia) subgenus. Among 18 patients who completed treatment with 20 mg/
kg/d of i.v. sodium stibogluconate (NaSb) for 20 d, early relapse of 
disease occurred in 2 patients with regional dissemination in 1 and 
mucocutaneous involvement in the other. Drug susceptibility testing in 
vitro of the clinical isolate from 1 of these patients confirmed 
tolerance to high concentrations of NaSb.




PMID: 15259468
 

TITLE: Skewing of cytokine profiles towards T helper cell type 2 response in
visceral leishmaniasis patients unresponsive to sodium antimony gluconate.

AUTHORS: C P Thakur, D K Mitra, S Narayan

AFFILIATION: Balaji Utthan Sansthan, Fraser Road, Patna 800 001, Bihar, India.
cpthakur at sancharnet.in

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):409-12

Thirty-two parasitologically confirmed visceral leishmanisis (VL) 
patients and 23 healthy, age- and gender-matched controls were recruited
 between April 2001 and March 2002 and studied for intracellular 
cytokine production after stimulation in vitro using a Fluorescence 
Activated Cell Sorter-based intracellular cytokine assay. The VL 
patients were given i.m. sodium antimony gluconate at a dose of 20 mg/kg
 bodyweight daily for 28 d and were grouped as responders (n = 11) or 
non-responders (no response after 28 d of treatment; n = 21). Clinically
, the non-responders had longer duration of illness (P < 0.05), 
larger spleen size (P < 0.05), and higher parasite load (P < 0.
05) than responders. The percentage of T helper (Th) cells producing 
interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in
 responders than non-responders. Non-responders had higher IFN-gamma 
production than control subjects (P < 0.001). The percentage of Th 
cells producing interleukin-4 (IL-4) was significantly higher in non-
responders than responders (P = 0.003) as well as in healthy subjects (P
 < 0.001). The frequency of IL-4 producing cells in responders and 
control subjects was similar (P= 0.65). The cytokine polarization index
, as calculated by the formula loge IFN-gamma producing cells/loge IL-4 
producing cells, was significantly lower in non-responders compared with
 both responders and control subjects (P = 0.003 and P < 0.001, 
respectively). The overall cytokine bias in non-responders was skewed 
towards a IL-4 dominance or Th2-like response and this was primarily due
 to induction of IL-4.








PMID: 15259461
 

TITLE: Sri Lankan cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania donovani
zymodeme MON-37.

AUTHORS: N D Karunaweera, F Pratlong, H V Y D Siriwardane, R L Ihalamulla, J P
Dedet

AFFILIATION: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka. nadira at cmb.ac.lk

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):380-1

Sri Lankan cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), once considered sporadic, is 
fairly widespread in some parts of the country. Identification of 5 
isolates from 4 CL patients by enzyme analysis during 2002 showed that 
they were all Leishmania donovani zymodeme MON-37, the parasite which 
also causes visceral leishmaniasis in India and East Africa.




PMID: 15259484
 

TITLE: Immunotherapy of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in Venezuela during
the
period 1990-99.

AUTHORS: J Convit, M Ulrich, O Zerpa, R Borges, N Aranzazu, M Valera, H
Villarroel, Z Zapata, I Tomedes

AFFILIATION: Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de
Venezuela/Ministerio de Salud y Desarrollo Social, Apartado 4043, Caracas,
1010A, Venezuela. jconvi at telcel.net.ve

REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Jul-Aug 97(4):469-72

Of a total of 11532 Venezuelan patients with American cutaneous 
leishmaniasis (ACL) receiving immunotherapy with a combined vaccine 
containing heat-killed Leishmania promastigotes and bacille Calmette-
Guerin (BCG) during the period 1990-99, we evaluated 5341 from 4 widely 
separated geographical states. Clinical healing varied from 91.2 to 98.7
%, with an average of 95.7%. Adverse reactions were mild and limited to 
those associated with BCG vaccination alone. Immunotherapy failures in 
143 patients included 54.5% with typical localized ulcers and 45.5% with
 non-mucosal intermediate cutaneous leishmaniasis (ICL). Less than 2% of
 the patients in this study had lesions suggestive of ICL. The 
disproportionately large number of immunotherapy failures in the ICL 
group suggests that it should not be used as monotherapy in this group. 
Weaker reactivity to purified protein derivative in immunotherapy 
failures, while not statistically significant in the small group 
reported here, suggests the possibility that these patients develop a 
relatively torpid immune response. The high percentage of clinical cures
 achieved with immunotherapy, associated with few secondary effects and 
low cost, support the use of immunotherapy in the routine treatment of 
localized ACL.




REQUEST: [ leishmania ]

(25 articles match this request. 14 articles matching other requests removed)



PMID: 15270599
 

TITLE: Leishmania in the glomerulus.

AUTHORS: Perikala V Kumar, Yahya Daneshbod, Alireza Sadeghipoor

AFFILIATION: Department of Pathology, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University
of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Kumarv at sums.ac.ir

REFERENCE: Arch Pathol Lab Med 2004 Aug 128(8):935-6




PMID: 15271907
 

TITLE: Characterization of an I-E-Restricted, gp63-Specific, CD4-T-Cell Clone
from Leishmania major-Resistant C3H Mice That Secretes Type 2 Cytokines and
Exacerbates Infection with L. major.

AUTHORS: Cynthia M Theodos, Robin V Morris, Jeanette V Bishop, Jeremy D Jones,
W
Robert McMaster, Richard G Titus

AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, CVMBS,
Colorado State University, 1619 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1619.
richard.titus at colostate.edu

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4486-93

A T-cell clone (designated KLmB-3) was derived from resistant C3H mice 2
 weeks after infection with Leishmania major. KLmB-3 was a CD4-T-cell 
clone that utilized the Vbeta8.1 T-cell receptor. When adoptively 
transferred to naive C3H mice, KLmB-3 unexpectedly exacerbated infection
 with L. major (it increased the cutaneous lesion size and the parasite 
burden within the lesion). The ability of KLmB-3 to exacerbate disease 
correlated with its ability to produce the type 2-associated cytokines 
interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-10, and transforming growth factor beta. 
Interestingly, KLmB-3 was specific for an epitope in the amino-terminal 
end of the L. major surface gp63 zinc metalloproteinase (leishmanolysin
) that has been shown to be capable of inducing a protective immune 
response. Moreover, KLmB-3 was activated when this epitope was presented
 in the context of H-2 I-E rather than H-2 I-A.




PMID: 15271903
 

TITLE: CD4+ Th1 Cells Induced by Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Mice
Chronically Infected with Leishmania amazonensis Do Not Promote Healing.

AUTHORS: Yannick F Vanloubbeeck, Amanda E Ramer, Fei Jie, Douglas E Jones

AFFILIATION: Department of Veterinary Pathology 2750, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1250. jonesdou at iastate.edu

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4455-63

The susceptibility of mice to Leishmania amazonensis infection is 
thought to result from an inability to develop a Th1 response. Our data 
show that the low levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) produced by the
 draining lymph node (DLN) cells of chronically infected mice could be 
enhanced in vitro and in vivo with L. amazonensis antigen-pulsed bone 
marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) and the Th1-promoting cytokine 
interleukin-12 (IL-12). Given intralesionally to chronically infected 
mice, this treatment induced the upregulation of mRNA levels for IFN-
gamma, the transcription factor T-box expressed in T cells, and IL-12 
receptor beta2 in CD4(+) T cells from the DLN and an increase in 
parasite-specific immunoglobulin G2a in the serum. However, this Th1 
response was not associated with healing, and the antigen-specific 
enhancement of IFN-gamma production remained impaired in the DLN. 
However, addition of IL-12 to the in vitro recall response was able to 
recover this defect, suggesting that antigen-presenting cell-derived IL-
12 production may be limited in infected mice. This was supported by the
 fact that L. amazonensis amastigotes limited the production of IL-12p40
 from BM-DC in vitro. Altogether, our data indicate that the immune 
response of mice chronically infected with L. amazonensis can be 
enhanced towards a Th1 phenotype but that the presence of Th1 CD4(+) T 
cells does not promote healing. This suggests that the phenotype of the 
CD4(+) T cells may not always be indicative of protection to L. 
amazonensis infection. Furthermore, our data support growing evidence 
that antigen-presenting cell function, such as IL-12 production, may 
limit the immune response in L. amazonensis-infected mice.




PMID: 15271961
 

TITLE: Involvement of the Chemokine RANTES (CCL5) in Resistance to Experimental
Infection with Leishmania major.

AUTHORS: Helton Da Costa Santiago, Carolina Ferreira Oliveira, Luciana
Santiago,
Fernanda Oliveira Ferraz, Daniele Da Glória De Souza, Luiz Antônio Rodrigues
De-Freitas, Luís Carlos Crocco Afonso, Mauro Martins Teixeira, Ricardo Tostes
Gazzinelli, Leda Quercia Vieira

AFFILIATION: Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB-Universidade Federal
de Minas Gerais, CP 486, 30161-970, Belo Horizonte MG, Brazil.
lqvieira at icb.ufmg.br

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4918-23

The expression and putative role of chemokines during infection with 
Leishmania major in mice were investigated. CCL5 expression correlates 
with resistance, and blockade of CCL5 rendered mice more susceptible to 
infection. CCL5 is part of the cascade of events leading to efficient 
parasite control in L. major infection.




PMID: 15271962
 

TITLE: DNA-Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Primer-Booster Vaccination
Biases towards T Helper 1 Responses and Enhances Protection against Leishmania
major Infection in Mice.

AUTHORS: Uta G Lange, Pietro Mastroeni, Jenefer M Blackwell, Carmel B Stober

AFFILIATION: Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust/MRC
Building, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Rd., Cambridge CB2 2XY, United Kingdom.
jennie.blackwell at cimr.cam.ac.uk

REFERENCE: Infect Immun 2004 Aug 72(8):4924-8

Successful resolution of infections by intracellular pathogens requires 
gamma interferon (IFN-gamma). DNA vaccines promote T helper 1 (Th1) 
responses by triggering interleukin-12 (IL-12) release by dendritic 
cells (DC) through Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). In humans TLR9 is 
restricted to plasmacytoid DC. Here we show that DNA-Salmonella enterica
 serovar Typhimurium primer-booster vaccination, which provides 
alternative ligands to bind TLR4 on myeloid DC, strongly biases towards 
Th1 responses compared to vaccination with DNA alone. This results in 
higher immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) responses compared to IgG1 responses, 
higher IFN-gamma responses compared to IL-10 CD4(+)-T-cell responses, 
and enhanced protection against Leishmania major infection in 
susceptible BALB/c mice.








PMID: 15249594
 

TITLE: Enhanced TCR-induced Apoptosis in Interferon Regulatory Factor
4-deficient CD4+ Th Cells.

AUTHORS: Michael Lohoff, Hans-Willi Mittrücker, Anne Brüstle, Frank Sommer,
Bärbel Casper, Magda Huber, David A Ferrick, Gordon S Duncan, Tak W Mak

AFFILIATION: Advanced Medical Discovery Institute, 620 University Ave, Suite
706, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C1. tmak at oci.utoronto.ca

REFERENCE: J Exp Med 2004 Jul 200(2):247-53

Transcription factors of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family 
contribute to the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, 
we show that CD4(+) T helper (Th) cells lacking IRF4 (IRF4(-/-)) are 
highly sensitive to apoptosis. After infection of IRF4(-/-) mice with 
the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, the lesion-draining lymph nodes
 developed the prototypic lymphadenopathy of wild-type mice after 4 wk, 
but demonstrated almost total loss of cellularity and enhanced apoptosis
 after 7 wk. In vitro, activation of IRF4(-/-) CD4(+) Th cells led to 
greatly increased apoptosis compared with wild-type cells. Coculture of 
IRF4(-/-) and IRF4(+/+) CD4(+) cells did not increase survival of IRF4
(-/-) CD4(+) cells, indicating that the enhanced rate of IRF4(-/-) Th 
cell apoptosis was neither transferable nor due to lack of a cytokine. 
Enhanced CD4(+) cell apoptosis was also observed after anti-CD95 mAb 
treatment, despite normal CD95 expression. Removal of endogenous 
cytokines, notably interleukin (IL)-4, led to increased and equally high
 levels of IRF4(-/-) and IRF4(+/+) cell apoptosis, whereas the 
protective activity of exogenous IL-4 was reduced in IRF4(-/-) CD4(+) 
cells despite normal expression of the IL-4 receptor. Therefore, IRF4 is
 central in protecting CD4(+) cells against proapoptotic stimuli.




PMID: 15266752
 

TITLE: Nectar and honeydew feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi in a focus of
Leishmania major in Neot Hakikar oasis.

AUTHORS: Günter Müller, Yosef Schlein

AFFILIATION: Department of Parasitology, The Kuvin Center for Study of
Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University- Hadassah Medical
School, Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.

REFERENCE: J Vector Ecol 2004 Jun 29(1):154-8

Feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli on nectar and honeydew was 
investigated in Neot Hakikar, an oasis in the southern Jordan Valley. 
Sand flies were caught with miniature light traps in cleared areas with 
large Tamarix nilotica Bunge bushes, in colonies of the sandrat 
Psammomys obesus Cretzschmar. Fly series were trapped and compared 
according to the condition of T. nilotica bushes: with flowers, soiled 
with honeydew excreted by cicadas, or without flowers. Near flowering 
bushes the catch was five times greater (7.9: 1.6 flies/trap) and the 
proportion of sugar-positive flies was also much greater (49.9:17.3%) 
than near bushes without flowers. The catch was three times greater (6.6
:2.2 flies/trap) near cicada- infested than near uninfested bushes. 
Color markers within the gut, obtained from infested or uninfested 
bushes that had been sprayed with food dye, indicated feeding of 33.2% 
and 4.5% of these series, respectively. Sand flies were strongly 
attracted to flowers of T. nilotica. In similar trap series, those 
baited with flowering branches caught 231 flies, whereas with baits of 
honeydew- soiled branches, control regular branches or wet filter paper
, the catch ranged between 11 to 15 flies. This study is the first 
evidence of nectar feeding by sand flies in the field and it indicates 
that nectar may be an important and an attractive source of sugar.




PMID: 15270094
 

TITLE: Effect of hypoxia on macrophage infection by Leishmania amazonensis.

AUTHORS: Marcelle Carolina Colhone, Wagner Welber Arrais-Silva, Claudia Picoli,
Selma Giorgio

AFFILIATION: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade
Estadual de Campinas, CxP 6109, 13087-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.

REFERENCE: J Parasitol 2004 Jun 90(3):510-5

In the present study, we compared the effect of 5% oxygen tension (
hypoxia) with a normal tension of 21% oxygen (normoxia) on macrophage 
infection by the protozoan parasite Leishmania amazonensis. Macrophages 
from different sources (human cell line U937, murine cell line J774, and
 murine peritoneal macrophages) exposed to hypoxia showed a reduction of
 the percentage of infected cells and the number of intracellular 
parasites per cell. Observations on the kinetics of infection indicated 
that hypoxia did not depress L. amazonensis phagocytosis but induced 
macrophages to reduce intracellular parasitism. Furthermore, hypoxia did
 not act synergistically with gamma-interferon and bacterial 
lipopolysaccharides in macrophages to induce killing of parasites. 
Experiments also indicated no correlation between nitric oxide 
production and control of infection in macrophages under hypoxic 
condition. Thus, we have provided the first evidence that hypoxia, which
 occurs in various pathological conditions, can alter macrophage 
susceptibility to a parasitic infection.




PMID: 15271421
 

TITLE: In vitro antileishmanial activity of acetogenins from Annonaceae.

AUTHORS: S Raynaud-Le Grandic, C Fourneau, A Laurens, C Bories, R Hocquemiller,
P M Loiseau

AFFILIATION: Laboratoire de Phytotechnologie, EA 2085, Faculté de Pharmacie,
Université Picardie Jules Verne, 80037 Amiens, France.

REFERENCE: Biomed Pharmacother 2004 Jul-Aug 58(6-7):388-92

Twelve acetogenins from Annonaceae were evaluated in vitro for their 
antileishmanial activities in order to search for new lead-compounds 
having antileishmanial properties. The compounds were comparatively 
evaluated by the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) determination on
 promastigote forms of wild-type and four drug-resistant lines of 
Leishmania donovani. In addition, after testing the toxicity on mouse 
peritoneal macrophages, the compounds were evaluated on amastigote 
infected macrophages and a therapeutic index was calculated. The IC(50) 
of the acetogenins against promastigote forms of L. donovani was in a 
range 4.7-47.3 microM. The most active compound was Rolliniastatin 1 (IC
(50) at 4.7 microM). On the intramacrophage amastigote in vitro model, 
only seven compounds exhibited measurable antileishmanial activity with 
IC(50) values in a range 2.5-29.7 microM. Rollinistatin 1 was the most 
interesting compound with IC(50) of 2.5 microM and it appears as the 
most promising one on the basis of therapeutic index (18.08). 
Isoannonacin, which is active against intramacrophagic amastigotes (IC(
50) of 6.2 microM) with a therapeutic index of 2.05, exhibited a strong 
action on drug-resistant strains (IC(50) from 5.1 to 9.8 microM). 
Acetogenins are a new chemical series with interesting in vitro 
antileishmanial activity and further studies will be focused on the 
understanding of this selectivity in regard to the membrane and 
mitochondrial action using specific probes.




PMID: 15267002
 

TITLE: A stable focus of canine leishmaniosis in the Bologna Province, Italy.

AUTHORS: E Mollicone, G Battelli, M Gramiccia, M Maroli, R Baldellii

AFFILIATION: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Patologia Animale,
Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064
Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy.

REFERENCE: Parassitologia 2003 Jun 45(2):85-8

During an epidemiological survey carried out for two consecutive years (
2001-2002), autochthonous cases of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) were 
reported in Communes of the Bologna Province (Emilia-Romagna Region, 
northern Italy), involved in the past (1971-1972) in a severe outbreak 
of human visceral leishmaniosis (VL). Serological controls, carried out 
by immunofluorescence antibody test on a sample of owned dogs, detected 
a mean prevalence of 2.5% in the first year in 4 Communes, and of 11.2% 
in the second year in only one Commune, where an incidence value of 9.3
% was assessed. The autochthonous origin of the infection was confirmed 
in 11 out of 13 positive animals in the first year and in 5 out of 6 new
 cases in the second year. In one case the parasitological examinations 
led to the isolation of leishmaniae characterized as Leishmania infantum
 zymodeme MON 1. Entomological surveys carried out during two sandfly 
seasons in one of the areas concerned by the VL outbreak showed the 
presence of Phlebotomus perfiliewi and, to a lesser extent, of P 
perniciosus, both proven vectors of L. infantum in Italy. The results 
obtained seem to suggest the presence of a stable focus of CanL in the 
territory involved in the previous VL outbreak of 1971-1972, within 
which the infection in the canine population had been assessed only 
serologically. Such an epidemiological situation may be seen either as 
the persistence of an old focus or as a new imported one.




PMID: 15266790
 

TITLE: [In vitro effect of an alkaloid isolated from Amphimedon viridis
(Porifea) on promastigots of Leishmania mexicana]

AUTHORS: E Marchán, D Arrieche, W Henríquez, O Crescente

AFFILIATION: Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina y Ciencias Aplicadas,
IIBCA-UDO, Cumaná, Venezuela.

REFERENCE: Rev Biol Trop 2000 Dec 48 Suppl 1():31-8

The dose dependent antiproliferative effect of an alkaloidal substance 
extracted from the sponge Amphimedon viridis was tested on Leishmania 
mexicana promastigotes. Sponges were collected in Isla Larga, Venezuela
 (10 degrees 20' 20" - 10 degrees 24" N, 64 degrees 19' - 64 degrees 22
' W), cut and dipped in methanol for vacum filtering extraction every 24
 hr. The aqueous extract was separated by chromatography over silica gel
. The parasites were from the Venezuelan NR strain. Their growth rate 
was reduced by 50 % with a dose of 10 microg/ml in 48 hr, whilst 
concentrations of 30 and 40 microg/ml induce leishmanicidal action after
 110 and 20 min, respectively. Lysis is preceded by an immediate 
increase in cellular volume associated with progressive damage of 
cellular content and the destruction of organelles. These findings 
suggest that one important factor associated with the antiproliferative 
effect of this alkaloidal substance on L. mexicana promastigotes is the 
loss of the plasma membrane selective permeability.




REQUEST: [ sand fly ]

(4 articles match this request. 3 articles matching other requests removed)



PMID: 15264620
 

TITLE: Evaluation of 1-octen-3-ol and carbon dioxide as attractants for
Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in southern Egypt.

AUTHORS: Gregory M Beavers, Hanafi A Hanafi, Elizabeth A Dykstra

AFFILIATION: Vector Biology Research Program, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit
Number Three, PSC 452, Box 5000, FPO, AE 09835-0007.

REFERENCE: J Am Mosq Control Assoc 2004 Jun 20(2):130-3

The effectiveness of 1-octen-3-ol (octenol) as an attractant for 
collecting medically important psychodids has never been reported. This 
study evaluated the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) and octenol released
 at 2 rates, individually and in combination, as attractants for adult 
sand flies in a small village in southern Egypt. Four sand fly species 
were collected: Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti, Sergentomyia 
palestinensis, and S. schwetzi. Only P. papatasi was collected in 
numbers sufficient to allow statistical analysis. This study reaffirms 
that CO2 is an effective attractant for female P. papatasi and also 
demonstrates that neither male nor female P. papatasi respond to octenol
 alone. Additionally, no synergistic attractancy for either females or 
males was observed when CO2 and octenol were combined.




REQUEST: [ sandfly ]

(2 articles match this request. 1 article matching other requests removed)



PMID: 15267005
 

TITLE: Sandfly (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) fauna of South-Western
Pakistan. 1. Diagnostic morphology of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), Ph.
bergeroti (Parrot) and Ph. salehi (Mesghali).

AUTHORS: Juma-Khan Kakarsulemankhel

AFFILIATION: Sandflies, Leishmaniasis and Mosquitoes Laboratory/Zoology,
University of Balochistan, Ouetta, Pakistan. jumakhankakar at yahoo.co.uk

REFERENCE: Parassitologia 2003 Jun 45(2):103-18

A survey was conducted to study the morphology of the sandfly fauna in 
South-Western Pakistan (Balochistan). During the revision of different 
genera of sandflies the specimens of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) (N
 = 720), Ph. bergeroti Parrot (N = 30) and Ph. salehi Mesghali (N = 70) 
were encountered in various localities. These localities appear to be 
new records of the subgenus in the literature to date. Ph. bergeroti is 
reported for the first time from Pakistan and Ph. salehi from 
Balochistan as well. Characters of these three Pakistanese Phlebotomus 
are compared with the published data of these species from other 
countries. Keys for the identification of Pakistanese Phlebotomus are 
also constructed. Two female Ph. papatasi collected from indoors out of 
132 female flies (1.5%) were found positive with flagellate infection in
 pharynx and midgut. The possible vectorial role of these flies is also 
discussed. Further surveys are necessary in parts of the country that 
have not been systematically surveyed.















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