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REQUEST: [ leishmaniasis ]

(14 articles match this request)



PMID: 15750095
 

TITLE: Leishmania promastigote membrane antigen-based enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting for differential diagnosis of Indian
post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.

AUTHORS: Samiran Saha, Tuhina Mazumdar, Khairul Anam, Rajesh Ravindran, Bibhas
Bairagi, Bibhuti Saha, Ramapada Goswami, Netai Pramanik, Subhashis K Guha,
Sourjya Kar, Dwijadas Banerjee, Nahid Ali

AFFILIATION: Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja. S. C. Mullick Rd.,
Calcutta 700032, India. nali at iicb.res.in.

REFERENCE: J Clin Microbiol 2005 Mar 43(3):1269-77

Diagnosis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), caused by 
Leishmania donovani, is difficult, as the dermal lesions are of several 
types and resemble those caused by other skin diseases, especially 
leprosy. Since the disease generally appears very late after the 
clinical cure of kala-azar in India, it is also difficult to correlate 
PKDL with a previous exposure to L. donovani. Very few attempts have 
been made so far to diagnose PKDL serologically, and the diagnostic 
methods vary in their sensitivities and specificities. Diagnosis of PKDL
 through sophisticated PCR methods, although highly sensitive, has 
limited practical use. We have developed a serodiagnostic method using 
an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect specific immunoglobulin (
Ig) isotypes and IgG subclass antibodies in the sera of Indian PKDL 
patients. Our assay, which uses L. donovani promastigote membrane 
antigens, was 100% sensitive for the detection of IgG and 96.7% specific
 for the detection of IgG and IgG1. Optical density values for 
individual patients, however, demonstrated wide variations. Western blot
 analysis based on IgG reactivity could differentiate patients with PKDL
 from control subjects, which included patients with leprosy, patients 
from areas where kala-azar is endemic, and healthy subjects, by the 
detection of polypeptides of 67, 72, and 120 kDa. The recognition 
patterns of the majority of serum samples from patients with PKDL were 
also distinct from those of the serum samples from patients with 
visceral leishmaniasis (VL), at least for a 31-kDa polypeptide. To 
further differentiate patients with PKDL from those with active and 
cured VL, we analyzed the specific titers of the Ig isotypes and IgG 
subclasses. High levels of IgG, IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 antibodies 
significantly differentiated patients with PKDL from patients cured of 
VL. The absence of antileishmanial IgE and IgG4 in patients with PKDL 
differentiated these patients from those with active VL. These results 
imply intrinsic differences in the antibodies generated in the sera from
 patients with PKDL and VL.








PMID: 15741546
 

TITLE: A recombinant cysteine proteinase from leishmania (leishmania) chagasi
suitable for serodiagnosis of american visceral leishmaniasis.

AUTHORS: Suzana DE Souza Dias, Paulo Henrique DA Costa Pinheiro, Simone Katz,
Márcia Regina Machado Dos Santos, Clara Lúcia Barbiéri

AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology,
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo,
Brazil; Associação de Ensino Superior e Tecnológico do Piauí, Teresina,
Piauí, Brazil.

REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2005 Feb 72(2):126-32

A recombinant protein, rLdccys1, which was produced by expression of the
 gene encoding a 30 kDa cysteine proteinase from Leishmania (Leishmania
) chagasi, was used for detection of antibodies in sera from patients 
with active visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in enzyme-linked immunosorbent 
assays. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of rLdccys1 showed
 that it contains all the characteristics of a cysteine proteinase. The 
ability of the protein to react with sera from humans with VL was also 
shown by Western blotting. The sensitivity for detection of specific 
antibodies to L. (L.) chagasi bodies using rLdccys1, L. (L.) chagasi 
promastigote lysates, and amastigote lysates was 80%, 98%, and 99%, 
respectively. No cross-reactivity between rLdccys1 and Chagas disease 
was observed, and there was little positive reactivity with sera from 
patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and tuberculosis, compared with 
promastigote and amastigote extracts. Our findings indicate that 
rLdccys1 from L. (L.) chagasi constitutes a potential tool for the 
diagnosis of American VL.




PMID: 15741548
 

TITLE: Short report: surveillance of leishmania sp. Among sand flies in sicily
(Italy) using a fluorogenic real-time polymerase chain reaction.

AUTHORS: Eduardo Gómez-Saladín, Carl W Doud, Michele Maroli

AFFILIATION: United States Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit 7,
Sicily, Italy; Section of Vector-Borne Diseases and International Health,
Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto
Superiore di Sanità , Rome, Italy.

REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2005 Feb 72(2):138-41

Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is a complex zoonotic 
disease, resulting in cutaneous and visceral manifestations in both dogs
 and humans. The present study involved a published Taqman fluorogenic 
real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for surveillance of 
Leishmania sp. parasites among sand flies trapped in two provinces in 
Sicily, Catania and Agrigento, during the summer and fall of 2003. Only 
male specimens were identified to species level, while females were used
 to evaluate Leishmania sp. infection by PCR testing. The two most 
prevalent sand fly species found were Phlebotomus perfiliewi and P. 
perniciosus. Of the female sand flies tested, 2.9% were positive for 
Leishmania sp. DNA by the PCR.




PMID: 15742905
 

TITLE: Resources for management of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

AUTHORS: Joshua D Hartzell, Naomi Aronson

REFERENCE: Am Fam Physician 2005 Feb 71(4):663




PMID: 15748545
 

TITLE: Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan.

AUTHORS: Shiraz Jamal Khan, Syed Muneeb

AFFILIATION: Gomal Medical College.

REFERENCE: Dermatol Online J 2005  11(1):4

Leishmaniasis is a major health problem worldwide. It is also a 
particular problem in the rural areas of Pakistan. The disease occurs in
 varying presentations, from the self-limited and even self-healing 
cutaneous forms to fatal systemic disease. Lesions of cutaneous 
leishmaniasis may occur anywhere on the body but the most likely sites 
are the exposed parts. The initial papule rapidly gives rise to an ulcer
. Systemic leishmaniasis is rarer in Pakistan and invariably fatal if 
not treated promptly. It affects the internal body organs, particularly 
the spleen and the liver. Leishmaniasis is transmitted by an infected 
female sandfly. Cutaneous lesions are usually single and often self-
healing, but a presentation with multiple ulcers resulting from multiple
 bites from the sandfly is not rare in Pakistan. The disease has a very 
long history and lesions like leishmaniasis have been described dating 
back to the ninth century (Balkan sore). Cutaneous leishmaniasis has 
been given various names in different civilizations such as "Delhi 
boil" in India, "Baghdad boil" in Iraq, and "saldana
" in Afghanistan. The organism responsible for leishmaniasis was 
discovered 100 years ago but the disease has not been eradicated; rather
 it is on rise in many parts of the world. If control measures are not 
taken, it might emerge as a major health problem. Pakistan has a burden 
of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, the mucocutaneous form being 
almost nonexistent. The physicians need to know the diagnostic criteria 
as well as the treatment of the disease. Because of a scarcity of 
dermatologists in the rural areas, most of these cases present to 
general practitioners. Control of this disease is further complicated by
 an inadequate supply of appropriate drugs.




PMID: 15704725
 

TITLE: Injection safety and its impact in India: a literature analysis.

AUTHORS: Amardeep Thind

REFERENCE: Indian J Public Health 2004 Jan-Mar 48(1):34-6

Unsafe injection practices have been implicated in the worldwide spread 
of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV or any parasitic disease with a blood 
phase, such as malaria, filaria and syphilis. Review of injection safety
 in India also revealed that use of injection is often inappropriate, 
injections are administered with unreliable safety measures. Studies in 
India have documented the association of injection use and spread of 
hepatitis C and kala-azar also. Some measures to address the issue are 
also discussed.








PMID: 15388992
 

TITLE: Experimental Leishmania major infection suppresses HIV-1 DNA vaccine
induced cellular immune response.

AUTHORS: Tara M Robinson, Robin Nelson, David Artis, Phillip Scott, Jean D
Boyer

AFFILIATION: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

REFERENCE: Cells Tissues Organs 2004  177(3):185-8

The AIDS epidemic in the developing world represents a major global 
crisis and an effective vaccine is imperative. However, many parasites 
are common in developing countries and can result in a state of chronic 
immune activation that is polarized towards a Th2 profile and which can 
potentially impair responses to vaccines or other infectious challenges
. In this study we demonstrate that experimental Leishmania major 
infection of BALB/c mice inhibits responses to a DNA-based HIV-1 gag 
vaccine. L. major infection in BALB/c results in a polarized Th2 immune 
response. In this study naïve BALB/c mice immunized with the HIV-1 gag 
DNA vaccine mounted a cellular immune response against the vaccine 
antigen, HIV-1 gag. CD8+ T lymphocytes were able to respond in vitro to 
HIV-1 gag stimulation and secrete interferon (IFN)-gamma. However, L. 
major-infected, vaccinated BALB/c mice had a significantly reduced 
number of IFN-gamma-producing CD8+ T cells following in vitro 
stimulation with gag antigen. These data suggest that parasitic 
infection, which results in a Th2 profile, reduces the efficacy of DNA 
vaccines that are designed to induce antiviral CD8+ T cell responses.




PMID: 15748077
 

TITLE: Epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the endemic area of Jericho,
Palestine.

AUTHORS: A Al-Jawabreh, F Barghuthy, L F Schnur, R L Jacobson, G Schönian, Z
Abdeen

AFFILIATION: Islah Medical Laboratory, Islah Charitable Social Society, Jericho,
Palestine.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):805-15

This study of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Jericho city and the adjacent 
Aqbat-Jaber refugee camp investigated the seroprevalance of Leishmania 
major and the risk factors associated with acquiring the disease. 
Clinical and parasitology identification of cases showed children and 
young men were more affected, with the head most affected in children. 
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test sera from 190
 individuals. The overall seroprevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was 
26.3%. A case-control study of 247 individual in 37 households showed 
that a higher level of education of the head of the household and having
 children sleep under bed nets were significantly related to a lower 
incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis.




PMID: 15748078
 

TITLE: Epidemiological study in a new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the
Islamic Republic of Iran.

AUTHORS: M R Yaghoobi-Ershadi, A A Akhavan, A V Zahraei-Ramazani, M R Abai, B
Ebrahimi, R Vafaei-Nezhad, A A Hanafi-Bojd, R Jafari

AFFILIATION: School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research,
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):816-26

An outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sabzevar county prompted 
this study of the epidemiology and the ecology of vectors and reservoirs
. Examination of 541 schoolchildren showed rates of 9.4% for scars and 5
.9% for ulcers. Among 807 inhabitants of 4 villages, 10.4% had scars and
 3.0% had active lesions. The most highly infected age group was 0-4 
years with a rate of 5.9%. A total of 12 849 sandflies representing 7 
species were collected in the study area. Leptomonad infection was found
 in Phlebotomus papatasi, P. caucasicus and Sergentomyia sintoni. 
Parasites from man, P. papatasi and Rhombomys opimus, were isolated and 
characterized as Leishmania major. Based on this survey, this is an 
epidemic of zoonotic CL, with R. opimus the main reservoir host, and P. 
papatasi the main vector.




PMID: 15748080
 

TITLE: Antimony-resistant Leishmania donovaniin eastern Sudan: incidence and in
vitro correlation.

AUTHORS: M G Abdo, W M Elamin, E A G Khalil, M M Mukhtar

AFFILIATION: Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum,
Sudan.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):837-43

A longitudinal study was done in a leishmaniasis -endemic region in 
eastern Sudan during the period November 2001-February 2003 to determine
 the incidence of failure of sodium stibogluconate treatment. We studied
 820 confirmed visceral leishmaniasis patients. All were treated with 
sodium stibogluconate, 20 mg/kg body weight for at least 28 days. 
Parasites were isolated from lymph node aspirates from 22 participants 
identified as relapsed patients. All isolates were typed as Leishmania 
donovanibased on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 
parasite kDNA. Six parasites showed in vitro resistance to sodium 
stibogluconate using murine J774 macrophage amastigote testing method. 
The resistant isolates showed different restriction profiles when the 
amplified kDNA PCR products were digested with ALU1 restriction enzyme, 
indicating that resistance was mediated by different parasite clones.




PMID: 15748081
 

TITLE: Field evaluation of latex agglutination test for detecting urinary
antigens in visceral leishmaniasis in Sudan.

AUTHORS: S H El-Safi, A Abdel-Haleem, A Hammad, I El-Basha, A Omer, H G Kareem,
M Boelaert, M Chance, M Hommel

AFFILIATION: Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):844-55

A latex agglutination test to detect urinary antigens for visceral 
leishmaniasis (VL) was studied. In 204 patients with suspected VL, KAtex
 had a sensitivity of 95.2% with good agreement with microscopy smears 
but poor agreement with 4 different serology tests. It was also positive
 in 2 confirmed VL cases co-infected with HIV. In all K4tex-positive 
confirmed cases actively followed up after treatment, the test became 
negative 1 month after completion of treatment. While IC4tex had a 
specificity of 100% in healthy endemic and non-endemic controls, the 
direct agglutination test (DAT) was positive in 14% of the KAtex-
negative healthy endemic controls. KAtex is a simple addition to the 
diagnostics of VL particularly at field level and as a complementary 
test for the diagnosis of VL in smear-negative cases with positive DAT 
results.








PMID: 15748082
 

TITLE: Visceral leishmaniasis in the Syrian Arab Republic: early detection using
rK39.

AUTHORS: S Al-Nahhas, M Shabaan, L Hammoud, A Al-Taweel, S Al-Jorf

AFFILIATION: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Damascus,
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):856-62

Leishmaniasis causes significant morbidity and mortality in areas where 
it is endemic. A seroprevalence survey was conducted in 2 endemic 
villages in Daraa, Syrian Arab Republic, where 80 out of 345 children (
23.2%) tested positive for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using rK39 
dipstick test. Only 10 cases were symptomatic (12.5%), and 27.5% were 
positive by ELISA test. All the sera (N = 138) obtained from the control
 village were negative. Of the rK39 initially positive cases, 52 had 
seroconverted to negative 9 months later, 55 remained ELISA negative, 
and none developed the full-blown disease. Being faster and less 
expensive than other diagnostic tests, rK39 is a rapid, sensitive and 
specific diagnostic tool for symptomatic cases of VL in remote areas 
with poor accessibility to health services.




PMID: 15748049
 

TITLE: Recent advances in research and control of malaria, leishmaniasis,
trypanosomiasis and schistosomiasis.

AUTHORS: S L Croft, L Vivas, S Brooker

AFFILIATION: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):518-33

In the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization (
WHO), malaria, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis are 
the parasitic diseases of major importance. Our review focuses on recent
 advances in the control and treatment of these diseases with particular
 reference to diagnosis, chemotherapy, vaccines, vector and 
environmental control. The Roll Back Malaria Programme, for example, 
emphasizes the use of insecticide treated bednets in Africa and targets 
a 30-fold increase in treated bednet use by 2007. Increasing risk 
factors for leishmaniasis include urbanization, extended agricultural 
projects and civil unrest and the increase in patients with Leishmania 
infantum and HIV co-infection in the Region may signal a new threat. In 
the past 20 years, human African trypanosomiasis has resurged in sub-
Saharan Africa; within the Region it has become more common in the 
southern Sudan where anthroponotic and zoonotic sub-species infections 
overlap. Schistosomiasis in the Region is caused by either Schistosoma 
haematobium or S. mansoni and large-scale control efforts include 
providing regular treatment to at-risk groups and supporting drug 
delivery through schools.




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PMID: 12956697
 

TITLE: Intralesional therapy of oral leishmaniasis.

AUTHORS: Rafefet Czerniski, Leon Gilead, Abedelmajeed Nasereddin, Nasereddin
Abedelmajeed, Alice Markitziu

REFERENCE: Int J Dermatol 2003 Sep 42(9):752-4




REQUEST: [ leishmania ]

(15 articles match this request. 7 articles matching other requests removed)



PMID: 15737615
 

TITLE: Functional expression of a multidrug P-glycoprotein transporter of
Leishmania.

AUTHORS: Fernando Cortés-Selva, Francisco Muñoz-Martínez, Attila Iliás,
Antonio Ignacio Jiménez, András Váradi, Francisco Gamarro, Santiago
Castanys

AFFILIATION: Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", Consejo
Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Parque Tecnológico de Ciencias de la
Salud, Avda. del Conocimiento s/n, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain.

REFERENCE: Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005 Apr 329(2):502-7

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) transporters play an important role in multidrug 
resistance in eukaryotic cells and in protozoan parasites such as 
Leishmania. To search for new reversal agents of the Leishmania tropica 
Pgp, we developed a screening assay using the Baculovirus-insect cell 
expression system. We demonstrated a MgATP-dependent, vanadate-sensitive
 transport of Hoechst 33342 in membrane preparations of Sf9 insect cells
 expressing Pgp. We have found that dihydro-beta-agarofuran 
sesquiterpenes from Maytenus cuzcoina inhibited Hoechst 33342 transport 
that correlates with their reversal effect in a multidrug-resistant L. 
tropica line overexpressing Pgp. The results suggest that Sf9 cell 
membrane Hoechst 33342 transport system represents an efficient tool for
 examining the interactions of Leishmania Pgp with pharmacological 
agents.




PMID: 15737633
 

TITLE: Characterization of a RAB5 homologue in Trypanosoma cruzi.

AUTHORS: Júlia Rolão Araripe, Fabiane Pereira Ramos, Narcisa Leal Cunha E
Silva, Turán Péter Urményi, Rosane Silva, Carlos Frederico Leite Fontes,
José Franco da Silveira, Edson Rondinelli

AFFILIATION: Laboratório de Metabolismo Macromolecular Firmino Torres de
Castro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do
Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21949-900, Brazil.

REFERENCE: Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005 Apr 329(2):638-45

RAB proteins are small GTPases involved in exocytic and endocytic 
pathways of eukaryotic cells, controlling vesicle docking and fusion. 
RABs show a remarkable specificity in subcellular localization, so they 
can be used as molecular markers for studying protein trafficking in 
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas' disease. RAB5 is a 
component of early endosomes. It has been identified in kinetoplastids 
such as Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania donovani. In this work, we 
describe the characterization of the complete coding sequence of a RAB5 
gene homologue in T. cruzi (TcRAB5, GenBank Accession No. ). It is 
present as a single copy gene, located at chromosomal bands XIII and XIV
. TcRAB5 shares the highest degrees of similarity (71%) and identity (63
%) with Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense RAB5a and contains all five 
characteristic RAB motifs. TcRAB5 is transcribed as a single 1.5kb mRNA 
in epimastigotes. Its transcript was also detected in the other two 
forms of the parasite, metacyclic trypomastigotes and spheromastigotes. 
The recombinant TcRAB5 protein was able to bind and hydrolyze GTP. The 
identification of proteins involved in T. cruzi endo- and exocytic 
pathways may generate cellular compartment markers, an invaluable tool 
to better understand the vesicular transport in this parasite.








PMID: 15740861
 

TITLE: Clinical and serological follow-up in dogs with visceral leishmaniosis
treated with allopurinol and sodium stibogluconate.

AUTHORS: Serdar Pasa, Seray Ozensoy Toz, Huseyin Voyvoda, Yusuf Ozbel

AFFILIATION: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary, University
of Adnan Menderes, Aydin 09016, Turkey.

REFERENCE: Vet Parasitol 2005 Mar 128(3-4):243-9

Seven dogs with parasitologically proven clinical visceral leishmaniosis
 (Leishmania infantum infection) were treated with a combination of 
allopurinol and sodium stibogluconate. The dogs received first orally 
15mg/kg of allopurinol every 12h until the clinical signs improved, in 
the following 1 month period allopurinol at same dose and subcutaneously
 30mg/kg of sodium stibogluconate combination were given daily and at 
the end of the combined treatment, allopurinol was continued alone at 
the same dose till the end of 8 months. During the treatment period, 
dogs were supported by additional proteins, vitamins, and minerals. A 
long acting insecticide (collar or drop) was also used in order to 
prevent further parasite transmission. Follow-up was maintained by 
clinical, clinicopathological evaluation, and parasitological 
examination of lymph node, serology using the indirect immunofluorescent
 antibody test (IFAT). Before treatment commenced, the most important 
clinical signs were exfoliative dermatitis, ulcerations, peripheral 
lymhadenopathy, pale mucous membranes, weight loss, and ocular lesions. 
Clinicopathological findings included commonly anaemia, 
hyperproteinaemia, hyperglobulinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia. Before the 
treatment, amastigotes were seen in six of the seven dogs by examination
 of lymph node aspiration, and IFAT-titers were positive in all dogs. At
 the end of 8 months treatment, remission of clinical signs, restoration
 to normal of clinicopathological abnormalities were noticed. Lymph node
 aspiration was performed on three out of the seven dogs at the end of 
the treatment because of the very small sizes of the lymph nodes, and no
 amastigotes were observed. Although the mean IFAT-titer of the dogs 
were significantly (P<0.001) lower compared with pretreatment, IFAT-
titers of dogs were still positive. No relapses occurred during 
treatment period and a 6-24-month duration after the end of therapy. 
Based on the above results, long-term use of allopurinol combined with 
sodium stibogluconate together with support treatment concluded to have 
enough therapeutic efficacies in the treatment of dogs with visceral 
leishmaniosis. Observations of the cases for possible relapses were 
still going on and insecticide application was carefully carrying on in 
order preventing a possible re-infection.




PMID: 15750647
 

TITLE: 1-Oxabicyclic [small beta]-lactams as new inhibitors of elongating MPT-a
key enzyme responsible for assembly of cell-surface phosphoglycans of
Leishmania parasite.

AUTHORS: Dipali Ruhela, Patrali Chatterjee, Ram A Vishwakarma

AFFILIATION: Bio-organic Chemistry Lab, National Institute of Immunology, JNU
Complex, New Delhi, 110067, India. ram at nii.res.in.

REFERENCE: Org Biomol Chem 2005 Mar 3(6):1043-8

New iminosugars (1-oxabicyclic [small beta]-lactam disaccharides) have 
been synthesized as inhibitors of elongating [small alpha]-d-mannosyl 
phosphate transferase (eMPT), a key enzyme involved in the iterative 
biosynthesis of cell-surface phosphoglycans of the Leishmania parasite. 
The design is based on a transition-state model for this remarkable 
enzyme that transfers intact [small alpha]-d-mannosyl-phosphate from GDP
-Man. Since these phosphoglycans are unique to Leishmania and are 
essential for its infectivity and survival, their biosynthetic pathway 
has emerged as a novel target for anti-leishmanial drug and vaccine 
design.




PMID: 15620822
 

TITLE: Treatment of paediatric visceral leishmaniasis: amphotericin B or
pentavalent antimony compounds?

AUTHORS: D A Kafetzis, I M Velissariou, S Stabouli, M Mavrikou, D Delis, G
Liapi

AFFILIATION: Second Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, P. & A.
Kyriakou Children's Hospital, Athens 11527, Greece. kafetzis at ath.forthnet.gr

REFERENCE: Int J Antimicrob Agents 2005 Jan 25(1):26-30

Pentavalent antimony compounds and amphotericin B lipid formulations 
have been found highly active for the treatment of visceral 
leishmaniasis. This study focuses on which treatment is preferable in 
the best interests of the child. Records were reviewed of children in 
our hospital aged 0-14 years, diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis, 
during the last 4 years. Twenty-nine children were identified. Ten were 
treated with meglumine antimonate (20 mg/kg/day for 21 days) and 
remained in hospital for 11-28 days (median 19 days), while 19 patients 
received liposomal amphotericin B at four different dosage schemes and 
were in hospital for 6-11 days (median 7 days). All of the patients were
 cured regardless of the treatment regime they followed. No relapses 
were noted. Liposomal amphotericin B would be preferable to meglumine 
antimonate if the reduction in hospital stay and hence the convenience 
of the patient balance the cost of medication. The optimal duration of 
treatment with liposomal amphotericin B remains to be determined.




PMID: 15685438
 

TITLE: Microscopy and cytochemistry of the biogenesis of the parasitophorous
vacuole.

AUTHORS: Wanderley de Souza

AFFILIATION: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de
Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade
Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, CCS-Bloco G, 21941-900, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, wsouza at biof.ufrj.br.

REFERENCE: Histochem Cell Biol 2005 Jan 123(1):1-18

Some parasitic protozoa are able to penetrate into host cells where they
 multiply. The process of penetration involves steps such as attachment 
to the host cell surface, internalization of the protozoan through an 
endocytic process with the formation of a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), 
and the subsequent interaction of the protozoan with the membrane lining
 the PV. This review analyzes the biogenesis of the PV from a 
morphological and cytochemical perspective. Special emphasis is given to
 (a) the localization of plasma membrane-associated enzymes such as Na
(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Ca(2+)-ATPase, 5'-nucleotidase, and NAD(P)H-oxidase, (b
) glycoconjugates, detected using labeled lectins, (c) anionic sites, 
detected using cationic particles, and (d) integral membrane proteins, 
using freeze-fracture replicas, and lipids during the formation of the 
PV containing Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania, Toxoplasma gondii, and 
Plasmodium.




PMID: 15737341
 

TITLE: Chronic Hepatitis Associated with Canine Leishmaniosis (Leishmania
infantum): a Clinicopathological Study of 26 Cases.

AUTHORS: T Rallis, M J Day, M N Saridomichelakis, K K Adamama-Moraitou, L
Papazoglou, A Fytianou, A F Koutinas

AFFILIATION: Clinic of Companion Animal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine,
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Stavrou Voutyra 11, GR-54627,
Thessaloniki, Greece.

REFERENCE: J Comp Pathol 2005 Feb-Apr 132(2-3):145-52

Hepatic tissue samples were obtained from 26 dogs humanely destroyed 
because of naturally occurring leishmaniosis (Leishmania infantum). None
 of the animals had palpable hepatomegaly or any other physical finding 
or historical evidence indicative of liver failure. However, serum 
biochemistry revealed hypoalbuminaemia (6/26), increased alkaline 
phosphatase (ALP) activity (15/26), and increased concentrations of 
total bilirubin (2/26) and post-prandial bile acids (4/26). Three main 
histological patterns were identified. In pattern 1 (3/26), the liver 
microarchitecture remained unchanged apart from the presence of 
individual or clustered macrophages in the sinusoids. In pattern 2 (20/
26), there was multifocal, mild to moderate, granulomatous to 
pyogranulomatous infiltration of the hepatic parenchyma, particularly in
 the portal areas. Pattern 3 (3/26), which was the most severe form, was
 characterized by marked portal lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with 
occasional broaching of the limiting plate and extension into the 
adjacent parenchyma. In this pattern there was also mild portal fibrosis
, together with lymphoplasmacytic aggregates within the parenchyma and 
small clusters of lymphocytes and plasma cells within the sinusoids. All
 three patterns were associated with hepatocyte vacuolation (15/26 dogs
), and haemosiderin accumulation within the hepatocyte cytoplasm. 
Congestion was present in the liver of five dogs. No correlation was 
found between histopathological pattern and breed, sex, age, clinical 
manifestations, serum biochemical profile or parasite load in the 
hepatic tissue; patterns 1-3 may, however, represent sequential stages 
of hepatic leishmania infection during the chronic course of the disease.




PMID: 15748079
 

TITLE: Factors affecting variations in exposure to infections by Leishmania
donovani in eastern Sudan.

AUTHORS: D E A Elnaiem, A M Mukhawi, M M Hassan, M E Osman, O F Osman, M S
Abdeen, M A Abdel Raheems

AFFILIATION: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum,
Khartoum, Sudan.

REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):827-36

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Gedaref state, eastern Sudan
 to investigate the prevalence of positive leishmanin skin tests and 
environmental factors related to Leishmania donovani infection. A total 
of 3835 people living in 11 villages in 3 regions were screened. Soil 
types and tree densities were determined in 33 villages inhabited by 44 
different tribes. The highest rates of positive skin tests were in Rahad
 region (33.9%), Atbara (21.6%) and Gedaref (10.6%), with an average of 
21.1% for the state. Risk of infection by L. donovani varied 
significantly between different tribes. Higher densities of Acacia and 
Balanites spp. trees were in Masaleet villages, suggesting that the 
relatively high risk of L. donovani exposure in this tribe is due to 
environmental factors.




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