<br><br>---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><span class="gmail_quote">From: <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:info@refscout.com">info@refscout.com</a></b> <<a href="mailto:info@refscout.com">info@refscout.com
</a>><br>Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 04:33:39<br>Subject: Articles found by RefScout for your requests<br>To: <a href="mailto:jayusp@gmail.com">jayusp@gmail.com</a><br><br></span><div>
<br>
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="2" cellpadding="5">
<tbody><tr bgcolor="#ffffff">
<td>
<font color="red"><b>New!</b></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
Have a look at our new tool, the <a href="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" title="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">RefScout's PDF-Manager (PDFM)
</a>! The RefScout's <a href="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" title="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">PDFM</a> will revolutionize your life with PDF files!
<br>
Simply let your PDF files be organized by the RefScout's <a href="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" title="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">PDFM
</a> in a table and get direct link to your local copy. In addition, the RefScout's <a href="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" title="http://refscout.com/pdfm_intro.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
PDFM</a> will alert you each time the NLM PubMed updates information concerning your specific reference!
Get your free 2 months trial version now at <a href="http://refscout.com/pdfm_download.html" title="http://refscout.com/pdfm_download.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">RefScout's PDF-Manager
</a>.
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
This is RefScout-Newsletter 28/2006 for user Jeff155960.<br><br>
<form method="post" action="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl" target="_blank" onsubmit="return window.confirm("You are submitting information to an external page.\nAre you sure?");">
<input name="action" value="listExport" type="hidden">
<input name="base" value="medline-28-1.xml" type="hidden">
REQUEST: [ leishmania ]<br>
(48 articles match this request)<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16751973" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16751973" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16751973</a>
<input name="id_16751973" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16751973" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16751973" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
[Epidemiological aspects of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in Varzelândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil]</a><br>
AUTHORS: Adriana Guimarães Nunes, Edvá Vieira de Paula, Roberto Teodoro, AluÃzio Prata, Mario León Silva-Vergara<br>
AFFILIATION: Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Cad Saude Publica 2006 Jun 22(6):1343-7<br>
To characterize an area of endemic leishmaniasis, aiming to test a
candidate <b>leishmania</b> vaccine, a prospective epidemiological survey was
implemented in 1999 in a rural area of Varzelândia, Minas Gerais,
Brazil. From a total of 1,253 persons in 246 households, 1,170 were
included, of whom 593 (50.6%) were males and 662 (56.5%) were under 21
years of age. A Montenegro intradermal test performed in 1,120
individuals and evaluated in 1,020 was reactive in 282 (27.6%).
Serological testing through indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA was
performed in 970 individuals (82.9%). Antibodies to <b>Leishmania</b> sp. were
detected in 117 (13.1%) and 170 (17.5%), respectively, by the two tests
. Cutaneous scars similar to those seen in American tegumentary
leishmaniasis were found in 297 individuals (25.4%), 282 of whom were
submitted to the intradermal test, while only 168 (59.6) were reactive.
Initial leishmaniasis prevalence of 5.8% was recorded, and an annual
leishmaniasis incidence rate of 4.6% was observed after one year of
follow-up. The epidemiological characteristics observed in this location
are suggestive of an endemic area with old colonization.<br>
<br><br>
<map name="10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6"><area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" title="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" title="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
</map><img usemap="#10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com" border="0" height="150" width="120"><br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16760512" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16760512" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16760512</a>
<input name="id_16760512" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16760512" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16760512" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Responses to <b>leishmania</b> donovani in mice deficient in both phagocyte oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Henry W Murray, Zhaoying Xiang, Xiaojing Ma<br>
AFFILIATION: Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.<br>
REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2006 Jun 74(6):1013-5<br>
Mice deficient in phagocyte oxidase (phox) and inducible nitric oxide
synthase (iNOS), which are primary macrophage killing mechanisms,
generated tissue granulomas but showed unrestrained <b>Leishmania</b> donovani
visceral replication and suboptimal initial responsiveness to antimony
treatment. Nevertheless, visceral infection was controlled post-
treatment and did not recur. A phox/iNOS-independent macrophage
mechanism, which was not triggered by L. donovani, emerges after
chemotherapy.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16722639" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16722639" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16722639</a>
<input name="id_16722639" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16722639" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16722639" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
2H-benzimidazole 1,3-dioxide derivatives: a new family of water-soluble anti-trypanosomatid agents.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Mariana Boiani, LucÃa Boiani, Ana Denicola, Susana Torres de Ortiz, Elva Serna, Ninfa Vera de Bilbao, Luis Sanabria, Gloria Yaluff, Héctor Nakayama, Antonieta Rojas de Arias, Celeste Vega, Miriam Rolan, Alicia Gómez-Barrio, Hugo Cerecetto, Mercedes Gonzalez
<br>
AFFILIATION: Departamento de QuÃmica Organica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de QuÃmica, Universidad de la República, Uruguay.<br>
REFERENCE: J Med Chem 2006 Jun 49(11):3215-24<br>
Three series of benzimidazole N-oxide derivatives were developed and
were examined for their activity against trypanosomatid parasites (
Trypanosoma cruzi and <b>Leishmania</b> spp.). 2H-benzimidazole 1,3-dioxides
displayed remarkable in vitro activities against both parasites, with
derivatives 28, 29, and 32 being the most potent (IC50 < 5 microM)
against the epimastigote form of T. cruzi and 28, 33, and 35 the most
potent against the promastigote form of <b>Leishmania</b> spp. Unspecific
cytotoxicity was evaluated using murine macrophages, and derivative 33
was not toxic at a concentration 30 times that of its IC50 against T.
cruzi that was completely toxic for <b>Leishmania</b> spp., implying that the
series of 2H-benzimidazole 1,3-dioxides is selective toward both
trypanosomatid parasites. Derivatives 33 and 35 were submitted to an in
vivo assay using an acute model of Chagas' disease and a short-term
treatment (30 mg/kg/day orally administrated as aqueous solution, during
10 days). While in the control (untreated) and Benznidazole (50 mg/kg/
day) groups survival fraction was 60.0% and 87.5%, respectively, none of
the animals treated with derivatives 33 and 35 died. From the
preliminary structure-activity relationship studies reduction potential
and electrophilicity were found relevant to anti-T. cruzi activity.
Active compounds are better electrophiles and more easily reduced than
inactive ones.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16741336" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16741336" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16741336</a>
<input name="id_16741336" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16741336" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16741336" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Hemophagocytic syndrome associated with visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Shilpi Agarwal, Shashi Narayan, Sunita Sharma, Eram Kahkashan, A K Patwari<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Pathology, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, Connought Place, New Delhi, India.<br>
REFERENCE: Indian J Pediatr 2006 May 73(5):445-6<br>
The present paper reports a case of 6-year-old male child, suffering
from pallor, fever and hepatosplenomegaly. A clinical diagnosis of
enteric fever with a second possibility of malaria was considered.
Laboratory findings included bicytopenia, hyperbilirubinemia and raised
liver enzymes. Bone marrow examination revealed active hemophagocytosis
. On extensive search few amastigote forms of <b>Leishmania</b> donovani were
seen. Patient was negative for other viral, bacterial and malaria
infections. The final diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome associated
with visceral leishmaniasis was made. There was response of anti-
Leishmanial treatment with improvement in clinical condition.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16605301" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16605301" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16605301</a>
<input name="id_16605301" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16605301" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16605301" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Unresponsiveness to Glucantime treatment in Iranian cutaneous leishmaniasis due to drug-resistant <b>leishmania</b> tropica parasites.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Ramtin Hadighi, Mehdi Mohebali, Patrick Boucher, Homa Hajjaran, Ali Khamesipour, Marc Ouellette<br>
AFFILIATION: School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.<br>
REFERENCE: PLoS Med 2006 May 3(5):e162<br>
BACKGROUND: Recent circumstantial evidence suggests that an increasing
number of Iranian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis are unresponsive
to meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime), the first line of treatment in
Iran. This study was designed to determine whether the clinical
responses (healing, or non-healing) were correlated with the
susceptibility of <b>Leishmania</b> parasites to Glucantime. METHODS AND
FINDINGS: In vitro susceptibility testing was first performed on 185
isolated parasites in the intracellular mouse peritoneal macrophage
model. A strong correlation between the clinical outcome and the in
vitro effective concentration 50% (EC50) values was observed. Parasites
derived from patients with non-healing lesions had EC50 values at least
4-fold higher than parasites derived from lesions of healing patients. A
selection of these strains was typed at the molecular level by pulsed-
field gels and by sequencing the pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) gene.
These techniques indicated that 28 out of 31 selected strains were
<b>Leishmania</b> tropica and that three were <b>Leishmania</b> major. The L. major
isolates were part of a distinct pulsed-field group, and the L. tropica
isolates could be classified in three related additional pulsed-field
groups. For each pulsed-field karyotype, we selected sensitive and
resistant parasites in which we transfected the firefly luciferase
marker to assess further the in vitro susceptibility of field isolates
in the monocyte cell line THP1. These determinations confirmed
unequivocally that patients with non-healing lesions were infected with
L. tropica parasites resistant to Glucantime. Additional
characterization of the resistant isolates showed that resistance is
stable and can be reversed by buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of
glutathione biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this
is the first report of proven resistant parasites contributing to
treatment failure for cutaneous leishmaniasis and shows that primary
Glucantime-resistant L. tropica field isolates are now frequent in Iran.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16446034" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16446034" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16446034</a>
<input name="id_16446034" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16446034" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16446034" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Canine visceral leishmaniosis: a comparative analysis of the EIE-leishmaniose-visceral-canina-Bio-Manguinhos and the IFI-leishmaniose-visceral-canina-Bio-Manguinhos kits.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R A Lira, M Paiva Cavalcanti, M Nakazawa, A G P Ferreira, E D Silva, F G C Abath, L C Alves, W V Souza, Y M Gomes<br>
AFFILIATION: Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães/CPqAM, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Av. Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, 50670-420, Recife-PE, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Vet Parasitol 2006 Apr 137(1-2):11-6<br>
This study evaluated the performance of the EIE-leishmaniose-visceral-
canina-Bio-Manguinhos (EIE-LVC) kit and to compare it with that of the
IFI-leishmaniose-visceral-canina-Bio-Manguinhos (IFI-LVC) kit. Four
groups of dogs were studied: group 1 (G1), dogs with clinical signs
indicative of CVL and testing positive for the parasite (n = 25); group
2 (G2), dogs with only a presumed diagnosis of CVL (n = 62); group 3 (G3
), dogs that had never lived in an area where CVL is endemic and never
received a blood transfusion (n = 16); group 4 (G4), dogs carrying other
parasites: such as babesiosis (n = 4), ehrlichiosis (n = 6) and
demodicosis (n = 1). G1 and G3 were used for the calculation of
sensitivity and specificity, respectively. The EIE-LVC showed a
sensitivity of 72% (IC 95%: 50.4-87.1%) and a specificity of 87.5% (IC
95%: 60.4-97.8%). The value of the kappa index was 0.975 (CI 95%: 0.926-
1.024), which represents an excellent fit. For IFI-LVC, the sensitivity
was 68.0% (CI 95%: 46.4-84.3%) and the specificity 87.5% (CI 95%: 60.4-
97.8%). When the tests were conducted in parallel, sensitivity was 92.0
% (CI 95%: 72.5-98.6%) and specificity 75.0% (CI 95%: 47.4-91.7%).
However, when conducted consecutively, the tests showed a sensitivity of
48.0% (CI 95%: 28.3-68.2%) and a specificity of 100.0% (CI 95%: 75.9-99
.4%). The analysis of clinically suspected dogs using IFI-LVC and EIE-
LVC kits in parallel, revealed that 26/62 animals were positive. Cross-
reaction was observed in a dog with demodicosis. These results lead to
the following conclusions: (1) the performance of the EIE-LVC kit is not
statistically different from the IFI-LVC and (2) the kits must be used
in parallel if higher sensitivity is required, reducing the number of
false-negative results.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16243558" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16243558" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16243558</a>
<input name="id_16243558" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16243558" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16243558" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Hemophagocytic syndrome associated with visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Badreddine Kilani, Lamia Ammari, Fakher Kanoun, Taoufik Ben Chaabane, Sami Abdellatif, Emna Chaker<br>
REFERENCE: Int J Infect Dis 2006 Jan 10(1):85-6<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16757380" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16757380" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16757380</a>
<input name="id_16757380" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16757380" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16757380" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
DNA topoisomerase I from parasitic protozoa: A potential target for chemotherapy.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R M Reguera, C M Redondo, R Gutierrez de Prado, Y Pérez-Pertejo, R Balaña-Fouce<br>
AFFILIATION: Dpto. FarmacologÃa y ToxicologÃa (INTOXCAL), Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain.<br>
REFERENCE: Biochim Biophys Acta 2006 Mar-Apr 1759(3-4):117-31<br>
The growing occurrence of drug resistant strains of unicellular
prokaryotic parasites, along with insecticide-resistant vectors, are the
factors contributing to the increased prevalence of tropical diseases
in underdeveloped and developing countries, where they are endemic.
Malaria, cryptosporidiosis, African and American trypanosomiasis and
leishmaniasis threaten human beings, both for the high mortality rates
involved and the economic loss resulting from morbidity. Due to the fact
that effective immunoprophylaxis is not available at present;
preventive sanitary measures and pharmacological approaches are the only
sources to control the undesirable effects of such diseases. Current
anti-parasitic chemotherapy is expensive, has undesirable side effects
or, in many patients, is only marginally effective. Under this point of
view molecular biology techniques and drug discovery must walk together
in order to find new targets for chemotherapy intervention. The
identification of DNA topoisomerases as a promising drug target is based
on the clinical success of camptothecin derivatives as anticancer
agents. The recent detection of substantial differences between
trypanosome and <b>leishmania</b> DNA topoisomerase IB with respect to their
homologues in mammals has provided a new lead in the study of the
structural determinants that can be effectively targeted. The present
report is an up to date review of the new findings on type IB DNA
topoisomerase in unicellular parasites and the role of these enzymes as
targets for therapeutic agents.<br>
<br><br>
********************************************************************************************************************<br>
The following references are revised files and are brought to you in accordance to license agreement with the NLM.<br>
********************************************************************************************************************<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16407349" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16407349" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16407349</a>
<input name="id_16407349" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16407349" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16407349" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of a new recombinant K39 rapid diagnostic test for Sudanese visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Koert Ritmeijer, Yoseph Melaku, Marius Mueller, Sammy Kipngetich, Caroline O'keeffe, Robert N Davidson<br>
AFFILIATION: Médecins sans Frontières-Holland, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. <a href="mailto:koert.ritmeijer@amsterdam.msf.org" title="mailto:koert.ritmeijer@amsterdam.msf.org" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
koert.ritmeijer@amsterdam.msf.org</a><br>
REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2006 Jan 74(1):76-80<br>
A new rK39 rapid diagnostic dipstick test (DiaMed-IT-Leish) was compared
with aspiration and a direct agglutination test (DAT) for diagnosis of
visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in 201 parasitologically confirmed cases,
133 endemic controls, and in 356 clinical suspects in disease-endemic
and -epidemic areas in Sudan. The sensitivity of the rK39 test in
parasitologically confirmed VL cases was 90%, whereas the specificity in
disease-endemic controls was 99%. The sensitivity of the DAT was 98%.
In clinically suspected cases, the sensitivity of the rK39 test was 81%
and the specificity was 97%. When compared with the diagnostic protocol
based on the DAT and aspiration used by Médecins sans Frontières in
epidemic situations, the positive predictive value was 98%, and the
negative predictive value was 71%. This rK39 rapid diagnostic test is
suitable for screening as well as diagnosis of VL. Further diagnostic
work-up of dipstick-negative patients with clinically suspected VL is
important. The ease and convenience of the dipstick test will allow
decentralization and improved access to care in disease-endemic areas in
Sudan.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16390983" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16390983" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16390983</a>
<input name="id_16390983" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16390983" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16390983" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Rapid, noninvasive diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in India: comparison of two immunochromatographic strip tests for detection of anti-K39 antibody.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Shyam Sundar, Radheshyam Maurya, Rakesh K Singh, K Bharti, Jaya Chakravarty, Ashish Parekh, Madhukar Rai, Kailash Kumar, Henry W Murray<br>
AFFILIATION: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. <a href="mailto:shyam_vns@sify.com" title="mailto:shyam_vns@sify.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
shyam_vns@sify.com</a><br>
REFERENCE: J Clin Microbiol 2006 Jan 44(1):251-3<br>
Used with blood or serum, a new anti-K39 antibody immunochromatographic
strip test (IT-Leish; DiaMed AG) proved sensitive (range, 99 to 100%)
and specific (range, 95 to 100%) for the noninvasive serodiagnosis of
visceral leishmaniasis in India. Used with serum, the IT-Leish test and
the existing Kalazar Detect test (InBios International, Inc.) yielded
comparable results for symptomatic infection and identified apparent
subclinical infection in 15 to 32% of healthy residents in a region
where visceral leishmaniasis is highly endemic.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16517998" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16517998" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16517998</a>
<input name="id_16517998" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16517998" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16517998" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test for diagnosis of kala-azar & post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis at a tertiary care centre of north India.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Purva Mathur, Jyotish Samantaray, Neeraj Kumar Chauhan<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.<br>
REFERENCE: Indian J Med Res 2005 Dec 122(6):485-90<br>
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Definitive diagnosis of kala-azar requires
demonstration of parasites by diagnostic protocols based on invasive
organ aspirations. We evaluated in the present study the diagnostic
utility of an immunochromatographic test (ICT) for detection of anti- rK
-39 antibodies for the non-invasive diagnosis of kala-azar and post kala
-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) at a tertiary care centre of north
India. METHODS: The study was conducted in the Department of
Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, from
July 2003 to October 2004. Of the 120 samples tested, 57 were found to
be positive by ICT; of which, 51 were diagnosed as kala-azar and 6 as
PKDL. The controls included individuals from endemic (50) and non
endemic (19) areas with malignancies, haemolytic disorders, chronic
liver diseases, hypersplenism, portal hypertension, metabolic disorders
and sarcoidosis. In addition, 47 sera from confirmed cases of
tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, filariasis, leptospirosis,
histoplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, invasive aspergillosis, amoebic liver
abscess, AIDS, leprosy, cryptococcosis, strongyloidiasis, cyclosporosis
, patients having collagen vascular diseases and hypergammaglobulinaemia
were also tested to check the specificity of the test. RESULTS: Of the
51 cases with kala-azar 43 were males, children accounted for 25 per
cent of these cases. All had fever of duration ranging from <1 month
to 1.5 yr (median 4.5 months). All PKDL patients (n=6, 4 males) gave a
history of having suffered from kala-azar in the past, and their slit
skin test smears were microscopically positive for Leishman-Donovan (LD
) bodies. The strip test was positive in all the cases of kala-azar and
PKDL (estimated sensitivity 100%), all control sera were negative by the
ICT (specificity 100%). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The rK-39 ICT
is a highly sensitive and specific test, and may be suitable for a rapid
, cost-effective and reliable field diagnosis of kala-azar and PKDL.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16339064" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16339064" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16339064</a>
<input name="id_16339064" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16339064" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16339064" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Application of an improved method for the recombinant k 39 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect visceral leishmaniasis disease and infection in Bangladesh.</a><br>
AUTHORS: K M Kurkjian, L E Vaz, R Haque, C Cetre-Sossah, S Akhter, S Roy, F Steurer, J Amann, M Ali, R Chowdhury, Y Wagatsuma, J Williamson, S Crawford, R F Breiman, J H Maguire, C Bern, W E Secor<br>
AFFILIATION: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Mailstop F-13, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.<br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 2005 Dec 12(12):1410-5<br>
Several serology-based immunoassays are used to diagnose visceral
leishmaniasis (VL), a chronic protozoan parasitic disease caused by the
<b>Leishmania</b> donovani complex. These tests are primarily designed to
diagnose the most severe clinical form of VL, known as kala-azar.
However, leishmanial infection is frequently asymptomatic and may
manifest only as a positive serologic response or positive leishmanin
skin test. We modified a previously described enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects patient antibodies reactive
with the recombinant <b>Leishmania</b> protein K39 (rK39) to confirm suspected
kala-azar and to detect asymptomatic infection in a community study in
Bangladesh. With the inclusion of a standard curve on each ELISA plate,
the rK39 ELISA was more repeatable (kappa coefficient of agreement=0.970
) and more reliable compared to the original method (kappa=0.587, P<0
.001). The cutoff point for a positive antibody response was chosen
based on the 99th percentile of the ELISA distribution for the negative-
control sera. However, we found that sera from all patients with active
kala-azar yielded values more than twice the magnitude of this cutoff.
Using receiver-operator characteristic curves, we determined a second
cutoff value predictive of kala-azar. Using these criteria, the
sensitivity and specificity of the modified ELISA for kala-azar were 97.
0% and 98.9%, respectively, for sera from our study population. We
hypothesize that individuals with antibody levels greater than the 99th
percentile of the negative controls but less than the cutoff point for
kala-azar have asymptomatic leishmanial infections.<br>
<br><br>
<map name="10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6"><area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" title="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" title="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
</map><img usemap="#10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com" border="0" height="150" width="120"><br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16209934" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16209934" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16209934</a>
<input name="id_16209934" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16209934" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16209934" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Serological screening for <b>Leishmania</b> infantum in asymptomatic blood donors living in an endemic area (Sicily, Italy).</a><br>
AUTHORS: Claudia Colomba, Laura Saporito, Valentina Frasca Polara, Teresa Barone, Antonino Corrao, Lucina Titone<br>
AFFILIATION: Istituto di Patologia Infettiva e Virologia, Università di Palermo, piazza Montalto 8, 90134 Palermo, Italy. <a href="mailto:claudia.colomba@libero.it" title="mailto:claudia.colomba@libero.it" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
claudia.colomba@libero.it</a><br>
REFERENCE: Transfus Apher Sci 2005 Nov 33(3):311-4<br>
The purpose of our study was to assess whether <b>Leishmania</b> infantum
parasitemia occurs in asymptomatic <b>Leishmania</b>-seropositive subjects.
Samples from 500 blood donors were tested using an enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-<b>Leishmania</b> antibodies were not found
in any sample. Our findings suggest that the risk of L. infantum
transmission by blood transfusion in Sicily is very low.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15879027" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15879027" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15879027</a>
<input name="id_15879027" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15879027" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15879027" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Development of recombinant chimeric antigen expressing immunodominant B epitopes of <b>Leishmania</b> infantum for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: A Boarino, A Scalone, L Gradoni, E Ferroglio, F Vitale, R Zanatta, M G Giuffrida, S Rosati<br>
AFFILIATION: Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Epidemiologia ed Ecologia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO) Italy. <a href="mailto:sergio.rosati@unito.it" title="mailto:sergio.rosati@unito.it" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
sergio.rosati@unito.it</a><br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 2005 May 12(5):647-53<br>
Wild canids and domestic dogs are the main reservoir of zoonotic
visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by <b>Leishmania</b> infantum (syn.:
<b>Leishmania</b> chagasi). Serological diagnosis of VL is therefore important
in both human and dog leishmaniasis from a clinical and epidemiological
point of view. Routine diagnosis of VL is traditionally carried out by
immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), which is laborious and difficult
to standardize and to interpret. In the last decade, however, several
specific antigens of <b>Leishmania</b> infantum have been characterized,
allowing the development of a recombinant-based immunoassay. Among them
, the whole open reading frame encoding K9 antigen, the gene fragment
encoding the repetitive sequence of K26, and the 3'-terminal gene
fragment of the kinesin-related protein (K39sub) were previously
evaluated as diagnostic markers for canine leishmaniasis and proved to
be independent in their antibody reactivity. Since sensitivity of
serological test is usually higher in multiple-epitope format, in this
study the relevant epitopes of K9, K26, and K39 antigens were joined by
PCR strategy to produce the chimeric recombinant protein. The resulting
mosaic antigen was found highly expressed in Escherichia coli and
efficiently purified by affinity chromatography. Antigenic properties of
this recombinant antigen were evaluated by indirect enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a panel of human and dog sera
previously characterized by parasitological and/or serological
techniques. Chimeric ELISA showed 99% specificity in both human (n = 180
) and canine (n = 343) control groups, while sensitivity was higher in
canine VL (96%, n = 213) than in human VL (82%, n = 185). Accordingly,
concordance between IFAT and canine chimeric ELISA (k = 0.95, 95%
confidence interval = 0.93 to 0.98) was higher than between IFAT and
human chimeric ELISA (k = 0.81, 95% confidence interval = 0.76 to 0.87
). Results suggest the potential use of this new antigen for routine
serodiagnosis of VL in both human and canine hosts.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15725545" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15725545" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15725545</a>
<input name="id_15725545" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15725545" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15725545" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Participation of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the epidemiology of canine visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Maria Teresa Zanatta Coutinho, Lilian Lacerda Bueno, Annelise Sterzik, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara, Jose Ramiro Botelho, Mario De Maria, Odair Genaro, Pedro Marcos Linardi<br>
AFFILIATION: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Caixa Postal 486, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Campus UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP 31270-901, Brazil.
<br>
REFERENCE: Vet Parasitol 2005 Mar 128(1-2):149-55<br>
The vectorial competence of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus is
discussed in relation to the epidemiology of canine visceral
leishmaniasis, taking into account its strict association with dogs and
the low indices of natural infection presented by its known vector, the
phlebotomine sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. In order to evaluate
natural infection by <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi and the infectivity of these
parasites in the tick, 39 specimens (6 females, 11 males and 22 nymphs)
of R. sanguineus were removed from 21 dogs showing diverse symptoms of
zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL). Six ticks (15.4%) gave positive
results for the genus <b>Leishmania</b> using the PCR technique. To determine
the infectivity of the parasites, 36 hamsters were inoculated orally and
peritoneally with macerates of ticks removed from nine dogs symptomatic
for visceral leishmaniasis. After 6 months the hamsters were sacrificed
and necropsied. Serum was removed for IFAT, as well as spleen and liver
fragments to make imprint smears and for PCR. Eight (88.9%) of these
dogs presented ticks that were infective for 14 hamsters (41.2%), 12 (85
.7%) of them infected peritoneally and two (14.3%) orally. PCR revealed
27 smears (40.9%) to be positive, 20 (62.5%) of them infected
peritoneally and seven (20.6%) orally. IFAT showed 14 positive animals (
41.2%). Based on these findings, we suggest that the vectorial capacity
of R. sanguineus for L. chagasi should be evaluated further, opening new
perspectives in the epidemiology of ZVL.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15788098" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15788098" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15788098</a>
<input name="id_15788098" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15788098" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15788098" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Heterologous expression of the filarial nematode alt gene products reveals their potential to inhibit immune function.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Natalia Gomez-Escobar, Clare Bennett, Lidia Prieto-Lafuente, Toni Aebischer, Clare C Blackburn, Rick M Maizels<br>
AFFILIATION: Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, UK. <a href="mailto:n.gomez@ed.ac.uk" title="mailto:n.gomez@ed.ac.uk" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
n.gomez@ed.ac.uk</a><br>
REFERENCE: BMC Biol 2005 3():8<br>
BACKGROUND: Parasites exploit sophisticated strategies to evade host
immunity that require both adaptation of existing genes and evolution of
new gene families. We have addressed this question by testing the
immunological function of novel genes from helminth parasites, in which
conventional transgenesis is not yet possible. We investigated two such
novel genes from Brugia malayi termed abundant larval transcript (alt),
expression of which reaches ~5% of total transcript at the time
parasites enter the human host. RESULTS: To test the hypothesis that ALT
proteins modulate host immunity, we adopted an alternative transfection
strategy to express these products in the protozoan parasite <b>Leishmania</b>
mexicana. We then followed the course of infection in vitro in
macrophages and in vivo in mice. Expression of ALT proteins, but not a
truncated mutant, conferred greater infectivity of macrophages in vitro
, reaching 3-fold higher parasite densities. alt-transfected parasites
also caused accelerated disease in vivo, and fewer mice were able to
clear infection of organisms expressing ALT. alt-transfected parasites
were more resistant to IFN-gamma-induced killing by macrophages.
Expression profiling of macrophages infected with transgenic L. mexicana
revealed consistently higher levels of GATA-3 and SOCS-1 transcripts,
both associated with the Th2-type response observed in in vivo filarial
infection. CONCLUSION: <b>Leishmania</b> transfection is a tractable and
informative approach to determining immunological functions of single
genes from heterologous organisms. In the case of the filarial ALT
proteins, our data suggest that they may participate in the Th2 bias
observed in the response to parasite infection by modulating cytokine-
induced signalling within immune system cells.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15690948" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15690948" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15690948</a>
<input name="id_15690948" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15690948" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15690948" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Recombinant K39 dipstick immunochromatographic test: a new tool for the serodiagnosis of canine leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Domenico Otranto, Paola Paradies, Mariateresa Sasanelli, Nicola Leone, Donato de Caprariis, Jan Chirico, Rosa Spinelli, Gioia Capelli, Olga Brandonisio<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. <a href="mailto:d.otranto@veterinaria.uniba.it" title="mailto:d.otranto@veterinaria.uniba.it" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
d.otranto@veterinaria.uniba.it</a><br>
REFERENCE: J Vet Diagn Invest 2005 Jan 17(1):32-7<br>
The spread of human leishmaniasis has prompted the scientific community
to study dogs as reservoirs for <b>Leishmania</b> infantum. Canine
leishmaniasis (CanL) is widespread in the Mediterranean area with a
prevalence of up to 50%. The first step toward controlling the disease
is to monitor its distribution, mainly in stray dogs. The validity of a
recombinant K39 (rK39) dipstick test, commercially available for the
serodiagnosis of human leishmaniasis, was evaluated using sera from 165
dogs selected on the basis of positive or negative lymph node smears at
parasitological examination. The results were compared with the indirect
fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) (cutoff 1:80). Sera from a group of
dogs with other diagnosed diseases but negative for leishmaniasis were
also tested to evaluate any cross-reactivity. Various procedures were
used for testing whole blood samples. The relative specificity of the
rK39 dipstick and IFAT was 100% (97 of 97) and 98.97% (96 of 97),
whereas the relative sensitivity was 97.06% (66 of 68) and 98.53% (67 of
68), respectively. The results of the dipstick and IFAT corresponded
except for 2 sera (k = 0.987). This data confirm the usefulness of rK39
antigen for diagnosing CanL both in symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs.
The rK39 dipstick proved to be a rapid, sensitive, and specific test
that may be very useful in the field for large-scale screening and also
in veterinary practice, requiring minimal equipment and operator
expertise.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=14651132" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=14651132" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
14651132</a>
<input name="id_14651132" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14651132" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14651132" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Diagnosis of kala-azar--an important stride.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Shyam Sundar<br>
REFERENCE: J Assoc Physicians India 2003 Aug 51():753-5<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=14651134" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=14651134" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
14651134</a>
<input name="id_14651134" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14651134" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14651134" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
K39 strip test--easy, reliable and cost-effective field diagnosis for visceral leishmaniasis in India.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R P Goswami, B Bairagi, P K Kundu<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata 700 073, India.<br>
REFERENCE: J Assoc Physicians India 2003 Aug 51():759-61<br>
OBJECTIVE: A firm diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) requires
demonstration of the parasite in splenic or bone marrow aspirate. The
aim of this prospective study was to assess the usefulness of K39 strip
test as a noninvasive method of diagnosing visceral leishmaniasis under
field conditions by testing serum antibody to the leishmanial antigen
K39. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One drop of serum/blood was applied to the
sample application pad on the test strip, which was diluted with 2 drops
of chase buffer solution. The development of two visible red lines
indicates the presence of IgG anti-K39. In the first phase of the study
(2001), a total of 200 patients (Active VL-70, ex-VL-30, healthy
endemic control-20 and patients with other tropical diseases-80) were
tested with the K39 strip test at the School of Tropical Medicine,
Kolkata. In the second phase of the study (2002), the test was applied
in a remote tribal area of West Bengal where an epidemic of VL had
occurred. Thirty-two patients were identified in 207 villagers of the
affected area; all of them were tested with the K39 strip test. RESULTS
: In the first phase, all VL and ex-VL cases gave positive results (100
%). Ten percent of the healthy endemic controls were positive. The test
results were negative in all other prevalent tropical diseases (100%).
The estimated sensitivity of the test was 100% and the specificity was
98.18%. In the second phase of the study, all 32 patients of the
epidemic were shown to be positive. All patients were treated with
sodium stibogluconate injections and they recovered uneventfully.
CONCLUSIONS: K39 strip test is ideal for rapid reliable field diagnosis
of visceral leishmaniasis. The test has high sensitivity and specificity
but it remains positive long after treatment (up to 3 years).<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15748082" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15748082" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15748082</a>
<input name="id_15748082" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15748082" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15748082" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Visceral leishmaniasis in the Syrian Arab Republic: early detection using rK39.</a><br>
AUTHORS: S Al-Nahhas, M Shabaan, L Hammoud, A Al-Taweel, S Al-Jorf<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic.<br>
REFERENCE: East Mediterr Health J 2003 Jul 9(4):856-62<br>
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.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12685638" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12685638" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12685638</a>
<input name="id_12685638" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12685638" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12685638" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Performance of recombinant K39 antigen in the diagnosis of Brazilian visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Silvio F Guimarães Carvalho, Elenice Moreira Lemos, Ralph Corey, Reynaldo Dietze<br>
AFFILIATION: Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2003 Mar 68(3):321-4<br>
This study evaluated the performance of recombinant K39 (rK39) antigen
in a immunochromatographic format (strip test) and a crude antigen
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the diagnosis of Brazilian visceral
leishmaniasis (VL) in 128 consecutive patients with parasitologically
proven infections (by microscopy and/or culture). For each patient, a
medical history was obtained and a complete physical examination was
performed. Controls included 10 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with
other diseases: malaria (10), leprosy (9), Chagas' disease (10),
tuberculosis (10), and cutaneous leishmaniasis (11). The sensitivities
of the rK39 antigen strip test and the ELISA were 90% and 89%,
respectively, while the specificities were 100% and 98%, respectively.
Our study confirms the accuracy of the rK39 antigen strip test in the
diagnosis of VL in a high prevalence population.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12631320" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12631320" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12631320</a>
<input name="id_12631320" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12631320" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12631320" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Prospective evaluation and comparison of the direct agglutination test and an rK39-antigen-based dipstick test for the diagnosis of suspected kala-azar in Nepal.</a><br>
AUTHORS: F Chappuis, S Rijal, R Singh, P Acharya, B M S Karki, M L Das, P A Bovier, P Desjeux, D Le Ray, S Koirala, L Loutan<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Community Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. <a href="mailto:francois.chappuis@hcuge.ch" title="mailto:francois.chappuis@hcuge.ch" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
francois.chappuis@hcuge.ch</a><br>
REFERENCE: Trop Med Int Health 2003 Mar 8(3):277-85<br>
The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) remains difficult in
rural endemic areas and practical and reliable tests are badly needed.
Two serological tests, the Direct Agglutination Test (DAT) and an rK39-
antigen-based dipstick test, were compared to parasitological diagnosis
in a group of 184 patients presenting at a tertiary care centre in south
-eastern Nepal with a history of fever > or = 14 days and splenomegaly;
139 patients had a parasitologically proven kala-azar and 45 patients
had a negative parasitological work-up. The rK39 dipstick showed a
sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 71%. The DAT was up to 99%
sensitive with a low cut-off titre (1:400) but its specificity did not
exceed 82% even with a high cut-off titre (1:51 200). Both tests could
be used for screening suspect patients in endemic areas. However, their
use as confirmatory tests should be restricted to situations where the
proportion of kala-azar among clinical suspect patients is high. The
rK39 dipstick is cheaper and easier to use than the DAT and could be
used widely provided that both its performance and production remain
stable.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15719773" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=15719773" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
15719773</a>
<input name="id_15719773" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15719773" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15719773" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
[Evaluation of a rapid test using recombinant k39 antigen in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil ]</a><br>
AUTHORS: Elenice Moreira Lemos, Silvio F Guimarães Carvalho, Ralph Corey, Reynaldo Dietze<br>
AFFILIATION: Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do EspÃrito Santo, Vitória, EspÃrito Santo, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2003 36 Suppl 2():36-8<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16117962" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16117962" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16117962</a>
<input name="id_16117962" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16117962" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16117962" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Standardization of a rapid immunochromatographic test with the recombinant antigens K39 and K26 for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Roberto Teodoro da Costa, João Carlos França, Wilson Mayrink, Evaldo Nascimento, Odair Genaro, Antonio Campos-Neto<br>
AFFILIATION: Laboratory of Leishmaniasis and Vaccines, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2003 Nov-Dec 97(6):678-82<br>
The serological diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) remains
problematic because there areno reliable commercially available tests.
Most laboratories use domestically prepared tests such as the enzyme-
linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or the indirect immunofluorescent
antibody test (IFAT). We evaluated rapid immunochromatographic (RICH)
test kits for the diagnosis of CVL. The tests were assembled with either
<b>Leishmania</b> chagasi recombinant antigens K39 or K26 and with either gold
-labelled Staphylococcus aureus protein A or Streptococcus pyogenes
protein G. Fifty sera from dogs with CVL, 14 sera from dogs with Chagas
disease, and 50 sera from normal healthy dogs were tested. The results
show that the RICH test using recombinant antigen K39 has a sensitivity
of 96% and 100% specificity for the diagnosis of CVL. No significant
differences were observed in the tests assembled with either protein A
or protein G. The RICH tests using recombinant antigen K26 were equally
specific but less sensitive than those using K39. However, the 2
antigens complemented each other and increased the overall sensitivity
of the test. Because of its simplicity and performance the RICH test is
a quick and reliable alternative for the diagnosis of CVL either in
conventional laboratories or for remote areas where laboratories are not
readily accessible for conventional assays.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12563469" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12563469" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12563469</a>
<input name="id_12563469" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12563469" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12563469" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Epidemiological and immunological aspects of human visceral leishmaniasis on Margarita Island, Venezuela.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Olga Zerpa, Marian Ulrich, Margarita Benitez, Concepción Avila, Vestalia RodrÃguez, Marta Centeno, Doris Belizario, Steven G Reed, Jacinto Convit<br>
AFFILIATION: Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela. <a href="mailto:ozerpa@telcel.net.ve" title="mailto:ozerpa@telcel.net.ve" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
ozerpa@telcel.net.ve</a><br>
REFERENCE: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2002 Dec 97(8):1079-83<br>
Sixty-five patients were diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) on
Margarita Island in the decade from 1990 to1999; 86.2% were <= 3
years old. All were leishmanin-negative at diagnosis. Evaluation of 23
cured patients in 1999 revealed that 22/23 had converted to leishmanin-
positive; five had persisting antibodies to rK39 antigen, with no
clinical evidence of disease. Leishmanin tests were positive in 20.2% of
1,643 healthy individuals from 417 households in endemic areas. Of the
positive reactors, 39.8% were identified in 35 (8.4%) of the households
, 15 of which had an antecedent case of VL, a serologically positive dog
or both. Weak serological activity to rK39 antigen was detected in 3 of
488 human sera from the endemic areas. The presence of micro-foci of
intense peri-urban transmission and the apparent absence of other
Trypanosomatidae causing human disease offer a unique opportunity for
the study of reservoirs, alternative vectors and evaluation of control
measures on the Island.<br>
<br><br>
<map name="10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6"><area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" title="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" title="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
</map><img usemap="#10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com" border="0" height="150" width="120"><br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12471430" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12471430" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12471430</a>
<input name="id_12471430" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12471430" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12471430" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of the direct agglutination test and the rK39 dipstick test for the sero-diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Henk D F H Schallig, Marilene Canto-Cavalheiro, Eduardo S da Silva<br>
AFFILIATION: Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, Biomedical Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. <a href="mailto:H.Schallig@kit.nl" title="mailto:H.Schallig@kit.nl" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
H.Schallig@kit.nl</a><br>
REFERENCE: Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2002 Oct 97(7):1015-8<br>
The direct agglutination test (DAT) based on a freeze-dried antigen and
the rK39 dipstick test were evaluated for the sero-diagnosis of visceral
leishmaniasis (VL). The sensitivity and specificity of both tests were
determined using sera from confirmed VL patients (n = 21), healthy
controls (n = 19) and from patients with other confirmed infectious
diseases (n = 42). The DAT had a sensitivity and a specificity of 100%.
The rK39 had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 82%. Both tests
were also used to screen blood samples of confirmed VL patients (n = 15
) and serum samples of VL suspects (n = 61). The DAT found all blood
samples of confirmed VL patients positive and tested 98.4% of the serum
samples of the VL suspects positive. In contrast, rK39 detected in 9/15
blood samples (60%) antibodies against <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi and found 85.3
% of the serum samples of the suspected patients positive. Although the
rK39 dipstick is more rapid and user friendlier than the DAT, the latter
has a superior sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, the reagents
used for DAT do not require cold storage, whereas the buffer of the rK39
must be stored at 4oC. Therefore, the DAT is the most suitable test for
the sero-diagnosis of VL under field conditions.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12452487" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12452487" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12452487</a>
<input name="id_12452487" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12452487" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12452487" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
The sensitivity and specificity of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi recombinant K39 antigen in the diagnosis of American visceral leishmaniasis and in differentiating active from subclinical infection.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Regina F S Braz, Eliana T Nascimento, Daniella R A Martins, Mary E Wilson, Richard D Pearson, Steven G Reed, Selma M B Jeronimo<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2002 Oct 67(4):344-8<br>
The sensitivity and specificity of a <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi recombinant K39
(rK39)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for visceral
leishmaniasis (VL) was assessed in Natal, Brazil. Anti-rK39 antibodies
were detected in 93.3% of patients with parasitologically confirmed VL (
n = 120) and in 33 others with clinically diagnosed disease. Anti-rK39
antibodies decreased significantly following treatment. The presence of
antibodies was inversely correlated with development of a positive
leishmanin skin test result. Anti-rK39 antibodies were detected in only
2.9% of asymptomatic subjects with a positive skin test result (n = 168
). They were not detected in healthy controls (n = 30) or in persons
with Chagas' disease (n = 13) or active tuberculosis (n = 31).
Antibodies were found in only one of 13 patients with cutaneous
leishmaniasis. In contrast, an ELISA using total L. chagasi promastigote
antigen was sensitive, but not specific. The results indicate that the
rK39-based ELISA is a sensitive and specific diagnostic test for
symptomatic VL and can differentiate progressive from self-resolving
infection.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12173133" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12173133" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12173133</a>
<input name="id_12173133" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12173133" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12173133" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Noninvasive management of Indian visceral leishmaniasis: clinical application of diagnosis by K39 antigen strip testing at a kala-azar referral unit.</a><br>
AUTHORS: S Sundar, M Sahu, H Mehta, A Gupta, U Kohli, M Rai, J D Berman, H W Murray<br>
AFFILIATION: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Department of Medicine, Banaras Hindu University, Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi, 211 005, India. <a href="mailto:shyam_vns@satyam.net.in" title="mailto:shyam_vns@satyam.net.in" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
shyam_vns@satyam.net.in</a><br>
REFERENCE: Clin Infect Dis 2002 Sep 35(5):581-6<br>
Firm diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) requires organ
aspiration and microscopic examination of tissue specimens. To determine
the usefulness of noninvasive diagnosis by strip test detection of anti
-K39 immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody in blood specimens obtained by
fingerstick, 143 Indian patients with suspected kala-azar (fever,
splenomegaly, anemia) were studied. Of 120 strip test-positive subjects
(subjects with presumed kala-azar [group A]), amphotericin B treatment
induced clinical cure in 119. Of 23 strip test-negative subjects (
subjects presumed to have other diseases [group B]), 16 had other
disorders diagnosed at entry, 4 responded to empiric antimalarial
therapy, 2 were proven to have kala-azar, and 1 died elsewhere after
undergoing splenic aspiration. Six months after treatment ended, all 120
patients in group A and the 18 assessable patients in group B were
healthy. In a region in India where visceral infection is prevalent,
strip test detection of anti-K39 IgG is a clinically promising
diagnostic guide in persons with suspected kala-azar.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12111603" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=12111603" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
12111603</a>
<input name="id_12111603" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12111603" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12111603" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of a rapid immunochromatographic test for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: O Brandonisio, L Fumarola, P Maggi, R Cavaliere, R Spinelli, G Pastore<br>
AFFILIATION: Dipartimento di Clinica Medica, Immunologia e Malattie Infettive, Sezione di Microbiologia e Immunologia, University of Bari, Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare, 70124 Bari, Italy. <a href="mailto:brandoni@cimedoc.uniba.it" title="mailto:brandoni@cimedoc.uniba.it" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
brandoni@cimedoc.uniba.it</a><br>
REFERENCE: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2002 Jun 21(6):461-4<br>
The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of a rapid
immunochromatographic dipstick test for the qualitative detection of
circulating antibodies to the leishmanial recombinant antigen K39 with
that of a classical immunofluorescent antibody test for serodiagnosis of
visceral leishmaniasis. Sera from 143 Italian subjects, including 69
patients with clinically suspected visceral leishmaniasis, 23 patients
with hypergammaglobulinemia and 51 healthy controls, were tested. The
immunochromatographic test was performed according to the manufacturer's
instructions, using antigen-impregnated nitrocellulose paper strips.
The immunofluorescent antibody test was performed according to an
established method, using promastigotes of <b>Leishmania</b> infantum zymodeme
Montpellier 1 as antigen. In 11 patients, diagnosis of active <b>Leishmania</b>
infection was established by microscopic examination of biopsy samples
and/or clinical response to meglumine antimoniate. Results of the two
tests correlated for all but two sera examined. In two patients, one
with proven infectious mononucleosis and one with bacterial pneumonia,
the immunofluorescent antibody test was positive and the dipstick test
was negative. In the restricted sample of patients in whom a definitive
diagnosis was established, the immunochromatographic test was positive
in 11 of 11 patients with confirmed <b>Leishmania</b> infection and negative in
103 of 103 subjects who either had other documented diseases or were
healthy controls, showing 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11986261" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11986261" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11986261</a>
<input name="id_11986261" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11986261" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11986261" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Predicting kala-azar disease manifestations in asymptomatic patients with latent <b>Leishmania</b> donovani infection by detection of antibody against recombinant K39 antigen.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Sarman Singh, Veena Kumari, Niti Singh<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, India. <a href="mailto:ssingh56@hotmail.com" title="mailto:ssingh56@hotmail.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
ssingh56@hotmail.com</a><br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 2002 May 9(3):568-72<br>
Clinically visceral leishmaniasis is suspected in only a fraction of
infected persons, as the majority of these may not have clinical
manifestations and remain asymptomatic. There is scanty information on
diagnosing latent infections and predicting disease in asymptomatic
persons. We therefore carried out a study on asymptomatic contacts of
patients with visceral leishmaniasis and post-kala-azar dermal
leishmaniasis by using methods for detection of antibody to recombinant
K39 (rK39) antigen. A total of 240 patients with leishmaniasis and 150
asymptomatic contacts were tested for anti-rK39 immunoglobulin G (IgG)
and IgA antibodies. Fifty-five asymptomatic persons were found to be
seropositive. These individuals were monitored every 3 months for 1 year
. On follow-up, 43.9% of the asymptomatic seropositive contacts
developed kala-azar within the first 3 months, and a cumulative total of
69% developed kala-azar within 1 year. The rest remained asymptomatic
and self-healed the infection. The sensitivity and specificity of rK39
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dipstick tests were 100%,
while an in-house-developed latex agglutination test had 80% sensitivity
. The antibody profile showed that the IgG anti-rK39 antibodies reached
a titer of up to 10(-6) within 6 months of infection, started declining
thereafter, and completely disappeared in 2 to 3 years in successfully
treated cases. Significant titers of IgA antibodies were detectable a
little earlier than those of IgG antibodies and were undetectable after
6 months. The study showed that mass screening of family members and
contacts by using anti-rK39 ELISA could be a highly reliable tool for
early diagnosis and to plan prophylactic treatment of latently infected
asymptomatic carriers to eradicate kala-azar.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11836028" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11836028" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11836028</a>
<input name="id_11836028" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11836028" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11836028" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of the <b>Leishmania</b> recombinant K39 antigen as a diagnostic marker for canine leishmaniasis and validation of a standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</a><br>
AUTHORS: A Scalone, R De Luna, G Oliva, L Baldi, G Satta, G Vesco, W Mignone, C Turilli, R R Mondesire, D Simpson, A R Donoghue, G R Frank, L Gradoni<br>
AFFILIATION: Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Rome, Italy.<br>
REFERENCE: Vet Parasitol 2002 Apr 104(4):275-85<br>
Canine infections with <b>Leishmania</b> infantum are important as a cause of
serious disease in the dog and as a reservoir for human visceral
leishmaniasis (VL). Accurate diagnosis of canine infections is essential
to the veterinary community and for VL surveillance programs. A
standardized ELISA using a purified recombinant antigen (rK39) specific
to VL was compared to the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) as the
standard. The ELISA was developed, optimized and evaluated using sera
from 6368 dogs. The standardized ELISA and IFAT results were highly
concordant. The timing and pattern of ELISA and IFAT seroconversion in
dogs followed prospectively after natural infections were very similar.
Antibodies reacting with rK39 were more common in asymptomatic canine
infections than reported for subclinical human VL. The rK39 ELISA is a
relatively simple and rapid assay for assessing the infection status of
dogs, and is an alternative to IFAT, especially when screening large
numbers of samples.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11874880" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11874880" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11874880</a>
<input name="id_11874880" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11874880" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11874880" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis with crude or recombinant k39 antigen.</a><br>
AUTHORS: P Salotra, G Sreenivas, A A Nasim, B V Subba Raju, V Ramesh<br>
AFFILIATION: Molecular Biology Lab, Institute of Pathology (ICMR), Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110-029, India. <a href="mailto:salotra@vsnl.com" title="mailto:salotra@vsnl.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
salotra@vsnl.com</a><br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 2002 Mar 9(2):370-3<br>
The diagnosis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), a
dermatosis that provides the only known reservoir for the parasite
<b>Leishmania</b> donovani in India, remains a problem. Timely recognition and
treatment of PKDL would contribute significantly to the control of kala-
azar. We evaluated here the potential of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) as a diagnostic tool for PKDL. Antigen prepared from
promastigotes and axenic amastigotes with parasite isolates that were
derived from skin lesions of a PKDL patient gave sensitivities of 86.36
and 92%, respectively, in the 88 PKDL cases examined. The specificity of
the ELISA test was examined by testing groups of patients with other
skin disorders (leprosy and vitiligo) or coendemic infections (malaria
and tuberculosis), as well as healthy controls from areas where this
disease is endemic or is not endemic. A false-positive reaction was
obtained in 14 of 144 (9.8%) of the controls with the promastigote
antigen and in 14 of 145 (9.7%) of the controls with the amastigote
antigen. Evaluation of the serodiagnostic potential of recombinant k39
by ELISA revealed a higher sensitivity (94.5%) and specificity (93.7%)
compared to the other two antigens used. The data demonstrate that ELISA
with crude or recombinant antigen k39 provides a relatively simple and
less-invasive test for the reliable diagnosis of PKDL.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11825959" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11825959" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11825959</a>
<input name="id_11825959" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11825959" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11825959" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Imported visceral leishmaniasis: diagnostic dilemmas and comparative analysis of three assays.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Jamshaid Iqbal, Parsotam R Hira, Grover Saroj, Reeni Philip, Faiza Al-Ali, Patrick J Madda, Ali Sher<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. <a href="mailto:iqbal@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw" title="mailto:iqbal@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
iqbal@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw</a><br>
REFERENCE: J Clin Microbiol 2002 Feb 40(2):475-9<br>
The present study evaluates the performances of three noninvasive
serological assays for the detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies to
<b>leishmania</b> antigen for the diagnosis of imported cases of kala azar (
visceral leishmaniasis [VL]) in a country, Kuwait, where the disease is
not endemic. A total of 323 individuals including 21 patients with
documented cases of VL, 72 individuals with suspected cases of VL, 155
patients with other parasitic infections, and 75 healthy control
individuals were tested by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA; Behring
Diagnostics GmbH, Marburg, Germany), indirect fluorescent-antibody
assay (IFA; bioMerieux sa, Marcy l'Etoile, France), and a qualitative
membrane-based immunoassay with recombinant <b>leishmania</b> antigen K39 (
strip-test; Intersep Ltd, Berkshire, United Kingdom). Our data show that
IHA is the most sensitive test (100%), followed by IFA (86.6%) and the
strip-test (80.0%). The strip-test was the most specific (100%) of the
three assays, followed by IFA (93.0%) and IHA (86.0%). However, the
strip-test failed to detect at least three confirmed cases of VL. We
conclude that IHA is preferred over IFA and the strip-test for the
screening of individuals with suspected cases of VL, especially in a
country where VL is not endemic and where the number of cases is regular
but limited. The details about some of the patients with VL are
presented to highlight the diversity of clinical presentations and
problems encountered in the diagnosis of VL in a country where VL is not
endemic.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11989529" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11989529" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11989529</a>
<input name="id_11989529" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11989529" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11989529" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Immunochromatographic strip-test detection of anti-K39 antibody in Indian visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: S Sundar, K Pai, M Sahu, V Kumar, H W Murray<br>
AFFILIATION: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Banaras Hindu University, Institute of Medical Sciences, Varanasi, India. <a href="mailto:shyam_vns@satyam.net.in" title="mailto:shyam_vns@satyam.net.in" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
shyam_vns@satyam.net.in</a><br>
REFERENCE: Ann Trop Med Parasitol 2002 Jan 96(1):19-23<br>
Stored sera from 429 Indian subjects were assayed to extend the analysis
of the accuracy of immunochromatographic strip-test detection of anti-
K39 antibody in the non-invasive diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL
). All 225 samples from patients with proven <b>Leishmania</b> infection tested
positive [estimated sensitivity = 100%; 95% confidence interval (CI)=98
%-100%]. Sera from 99 of the 100 symptomatic patients with other
diseases were non-reactive (estimated specificity = 99%; CI = 94%-100
%). However, samples from 13 of the 104 apparently healthy controls
showed positive strip-test results (estimated specificity = 88%; CI = 79
%-93%), yielding an overall specificity of 93% (190/204; CI = 88%-96%).
If applied in a practical clinical setting (on symptomatic patients in
whom active VL is suspected and other common infections have been
excluded), strip testing of serum for anti-K39 antibody should be both
sensitive and specific for diagnosing VL in India.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11802273" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11802273" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11802273</a>
<input name="id_11802273" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11802273" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11802273" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Value of a dipstick based on recombinant RK39 antigen for differential diagnosis of American visceral leishmaniasis from other sympatric endemic diseases in Venezuela.</a><br>
AUTHORS: O Delgado, M D Feliciangeli, V Coraspe, S Silva, A Perez, J Arias<br>
AFFILIATION: Instituto de Medicina Tropical, UCV, Caracas, Venezuela.<br>
REFERENCE: Parasite 2001 Dec 8(4):355-7<br>
A laboratory trial using recombinant rK39 dipsticks for differential
diagnosis of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) from other sympatric
endemic diseases which share similar clinic features (Chagas disease,
malaria, schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis) was conducted in Venezuela.
The 100% specificity of the test previously obtained in other countries
was confirmed. The use of this test at the primary health care level in
Venezuela for a rapid diagnosis of active AVL cases, which may avoid
deaths, is recommended.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11687466" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11687466" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11687466</a>
<input name="id_11687466" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11687466" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11687466" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for recombinant K39 antigen in diagnosis and prognosis of Indian visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R Kumar, K Pai, K Pathak, S Sundar<br>
AFFILIATION: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India.<br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 2001 Nov 8(6):1220-4<br>
The recombinant product (rK39) of the 39-amino-acid repeats encoded by a
kinesin-like protein-encoding gene of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi was evaluated
by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnostic potential
and the ability to predict the response to therapy in Indian kala-azar
or visceral leishmaniasis (VL); we also compared its performance with
that of crude soluble antigen (CSA). At the diagnosis of VL, the anti-
rK39 antibody titer was 59-fold higher than the anti-CSA antibody titer
. With successful therapy, antibody titers declined steeply at the end
of treatment and during follow-up. In contrast, patients who relapsed
showed increased titers of antibodies to rK39. The extremely high levels
of anti-rK39 antibodies in VL cases suggest the application of rK39 for
sensitive and specific serodiagnosis, and rK39 ELISA is also valuable
in monitoring drug therapy and detecting relapse of the disease.<br>
<br><br>
<map name="10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6"><area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" title="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" title="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
</map><img usemap="#10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com" border="0" height="150" width="120"><br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11703291" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11703291" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11703291</a>
<input name="id_11703291" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11703291" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11703291" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
A simple and sensitive test for field diagnosis of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: P Salotra, G Sreenivas, V Ramesh, S Sundar<br>
AFFILIATION: Molecular Biology Laboratory, Institute of Pathology (ICMR), Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110, 029, India. <a href="mailto:salotra@vsnl.com" title="mailto:salotra@vsnl.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
salotra@vsnl.com</a><br>
REFERENCE: Br J Dermatol 2001 Oct 145(4):630-2<br>
BACKGROUND: Current methods for diagnosis of post kala-azar dermal
leishmaniasis (PKDL) do not offer adequate sensitivity and specificity.
OBJECTIVES: To develop a simple and sensitive test for field diagnosis
of PKDL. METHODS: Immunochromatographic nitrocellulose strips precoated
with recombinant k39 antigen were evaluated for the detection of
circulating antibodies to leishmanial k39 in PKDL sera. A drop of serum
applied to the strip followed by buffer led to the development of two
visible bands indicating the presence of anti-k39 IgG. RESULTS: The
strip test was able to detect cases of PKDL with 91% sensitivity. The
specificity of the test was evaluated using controls with other skin
diseases, other common infections and healthy persons from endemic and
non-endemic regions. Of 125 controls examined, all were negative on the
strip test, indicating 100% specificity of the test. CONCLUSIONS: The
immunochromatographic nitrocellulose strips provide a non-invasive,
rapid and accurate method for diagnosing PKDL.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11251906" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11251906" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11251906</a>
<input name="id_11251906" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11251906" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11251906" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Diagnosing visceral leishmaniasis with the recombinant K39 strip test: experience from the Sudan.</a><br>
AUTHORS: E E Zijlstra, Y Nur, P Desjeux, E A Khalil, A M El-Hassan, J Groen<br>
AFFILIATION: Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Sudan. <a href="mailto:eezijlstra@malawi.net" title="mailto:eezijlstra@malawi.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
eezijlstra@malawi.net</a><br>
REFERENCE: Trop Med Int Health 2001 Feb 6(2):108-13<br>
We compared a strip test employing recombinant K39 (rK39) antigen and
protein A/colloidal gold as read-out agents with the rK39 ELISA for IgM
and IgG antibodies and the direct agglutination test (DAT) using 55 sera
from patients with parasitologically confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (
VL). The rK39 strip test was positive in 37/55 (67%), the DAT in 50/55 (
91%) at > or = 1 : 1600 cut-off value and in 47/55 (85%) at > or = 1 :
6400 cut-off value. The rK39-ELISA gave positive IgG results for all
sera; those who had a positive strip test had significantly higher IgG
levels than those with a negative strip test (31.1 (SD=3.6) and 17.7 U/
ml (SD=9.8), respectively, P < 0.0001). A total of 31/55 (56%) sera
showed a positive IgM result; of these 27 (49%) had a positive strip
test. We tested 115 apparently cured VL patients with the strip test
during follow-up; 68 were also tested with DAT. In the strip test, 25-43
% of patients had a positive result at time points 3, 6, 9 and 12 months
after treatment; for DAT (cut-off > or = 1 : 1600) these results were
67-83%. In neither test did a significant decrease in positivity rates
occur over time (P=0.37 for the strip test, P=0.17 for the DAT). No
correlation (P=0.33) was found between a positive strip test and a
positive DAT result (cut-off > or = 1: 1600), indicating that the strip
test and DAT are complementary rather than interchangeable. Of 61
endemic controls two (3%) had a positive strip test result; both had a
positive leishmanin skin test. The rK39 strip test has the ideal format
for use in the field, but its sensitivity is limited; like DAT, but to a
lesser extent, it remains positive after treatment.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11164745" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11164745" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11164745</a>
<input name="id_11164745" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11164745" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11164745" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Latex agglutination test for the detection of urinary antigens in visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Z J Attar, M L Chance, S el-Safi, J Carney, A Azazy, M El-Hadi, C Dourado, M Hommel<br>
AFFILIATION: Molecular Biology and Immunology Division, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK.<br>
REFERENCE: Acta Trop 2001 Jan 78(1):11-6<br>
This paper describes a new latex agglutination test ('KATEX') for the
detection of leishmanial antigen in the urine of patients with visceral
leishmaniasis. In preliminary laboratory trials, using urine collected
from well-defined cases and controls from Brazil, Yemen and Nepal, the
test had 100% specificity and a sensitivity between 68 and 100%. When
used in a time-course experiment in cotton rats infected with <b>Leishmania</b>
donovani, the test became positive 1 week after inoculation and antigen
levels in urine declined rapidly after chemotherapy (the test was
negative before the end of the course of treatment). Finally, in an
integrated study performed in Sudan, KATEX was compared to microscopy
and four different serological tests in a group of 73 patients having
presented with clinical manifestations suggestive of visceral
leishmaniasis. Compared to microscopy, KATEX performed better than any
single serological test in predicting positivity and a particularly good
result was obtained by combining KATEX and the direct agglutination
test (DAT).<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11388508" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=11388508" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
11388508</a>
<input name="id_11388508" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11388508" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11388508" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Use of the recombinant K39 dipstick test and the direct agglutination test in a setting endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal.</a><br>
AUTHORS: C Bern, S N Jha, A B Joshi, G D Thakur, M B Bista<br>
AFFILIATION: Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA.<br>
REFERENCE: Am J Trop Med Hyg 2000 Sep-Oct 63(3-4):153-7<br>
We evaluated the field use of two serologic tests for visceral
leishmaniasis (VL), the direct agglutination test (DAT) and rK39
dipstick test, in the context of a case-control study. Most VL cases in
Nepal are currently diagnosed on clinical grounds and with relatively
non-specific tests such as the formol-gel test. Among 14 newly diagnosed
VL patients with bone-marrow slides confirmed positive in two
independent laboratories, the sensitivity of both tests was 100%. Among
113 controls with no personal or household history of VL, the
specificity of the rK39 was 100% while that of the DAT was 93%. The rK39
was less expensive than DAT, and has the advantages of ease of use and
obtaining results within minutes. The wider use of the rK39 dipstick
test could improve the specificity of VL diagnosis in Nepal.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9729541" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9729541" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
9729541</a>
<input name="id_9729541" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9729541" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9729541" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
rK39 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of <b>Leishmania</b> donovani infection.</a><br>
AUTHORS: E E Zijlstra, N S Daifalla, P A Kager, E A Khalil, A M El-Hassan, S G Reed, H W Ghalib<br>
AFFILIATION: Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.<br>
REFERENCE: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 1998 Sep 5(5):717-20<br>
The rK39 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared with the
direct agglutination test (DAT) for <b>Leishmania</b> donovani infection in
the Sudan. rK39 ELISA proved more sensitive than DAT in diagnosis of
kala-azar (93 and 80%, respectively); both tests may remain positive up
to 24 months after treatment. For patients with post-kala-azar dermal
leishmaniasis and individuals with subclinical infection, rK39 ELISA
performed as well as DAT but could detect infection 6 months earlier in
approximately 40% of patients. Conversion in DAT and rK39 ELISA also
occurred in leishmanin skin test (LST)-positive individuals, suggesting
active parasite replication (rK39 is an amastigote antigen) in these
presumably immune individuals. In contrast to DAT, rK39 ELISA also
detected infection in randomly selected LST-positive individuals (in
four of six) and endemicity (LST-negative) controls (in one of five).
rK39 ELISA appears more sensitive than DAT and may prove an important
tool in epidemiological studies.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9593022" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9593022" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
9593022</a>
<input name="id_9593022" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9593022" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9593022" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
A cloned antigen (recombinant K39) of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi diagnostic for visceral leishmaniasis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 patients and a prognostic indicator for monitoring patients undergoing drug therapy.
</a><br>
AUTHORS: R L Houghton, M Petrescu, D R Benson, Y A Skeiky, A Scalone, R Badaró, S G Reed, L Gradoni<br>
AFFILIATION: Corixa Corp., Seattle, Washington 98104, USA. <a href="mailto:houghton@corixa.com" title="mailto:houghton@corixa.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">houghton@corixa.com
</a><br>
REFERENCE: J Infect Dis 1998 May 177(5):1339-44<br>
Serologic assays using crude antigens for the diagnosis of visceral
leishmaniasis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV)-seropositive
patients have been shown to lack sensitivity and specificity,
particularly in AIDS patients. Antibodies to a cloned antigen,
recombinant (r) K39, of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi are specific for members of
the <b>Leishmania</b> donovani complex and have been shown to indicate active
disease in immunocompetent persons. This study demonstrated that
antibodies to rK39 were also detectable in HIV-seropositive patients
coinfected with <b>Leishmania</b> infantum. Furthermore, the rK39 ELISA was
more sensitive than an IFA for detecting L. infantum infections in
patients with AIDS. In addition, antibody titers to rK39 in HIV-negative
patients infected with L. infantum or L. chagasi declined during
treatment with meglumine antimoniate or liposomal amphotericin B. In
contrast, most patients who clinically relapsed showed increased
antibody titers to rK39. These data demonstrate the diagnostic and
prognostic utility of rK39 in detecting active visceral leishmaniasis.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9492776" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=9492776" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
9492776</a>
<input name="id_9492776" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9492776" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9492776" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Rapid accurate field diagnosis of Indian visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: S Sundar, S G Reed, V P Singh, P C Kumar, H W Murray<br>
AFFILIATION: Kala-Azar Medical Research Center, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.<br>
REFERENCE: Lancet 1998 Feb 351(9102):563-5<br>
BACKGROUND: A firm diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar)
requires demonstration of the parasite in organ aspirates or tissue
biopsy samples. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the
diagnostic usefulness of non-invasive testing for antibody to the
leishmanial antigen K39 by means of antigen-impregnated nitrocellulose
paper strips adapted for use under field conditions. METHODS: One drop
of peripheral blood is applied to the hitrocellulose strip. Three drops
of test buffer (phosphate-buffered saline plus bovine serum albumin) are
added to the dried blood. The development of two visible bands
indicates presence of IgG anti-K39. 323 consecutive patients with
suspected kala-azar referred to two specialist units in India, and 25
healthy controls, provided fingerstick blood samples for the test.
Spleen aspirates were taken from 250 patients. FINDINGS: Kala-azar was
confirmed by microscopy of spleen-aspirate smears in 127 patients. The
K39 strip test was positive in all 127; the estimated sensitivity was
therefore 100% (95% CI 98-100). Four patients had positive strip tests
but negative aspirate smears; all four responded to treatment for
leishmaniasis. 217 individuals, including the 25 healthy controls, 73
patients with malaria or tuberculosis, and 119 spleen-aspirate-negative
patients who had presumed malaria or cirrhosis (79) or no final
diagnosis (40), had negative strip-test results. None of the 119
aspirate-negative patients developed evidence of kala-azar during 3-6
months of follow-up. The estimated specificity of the strip test was 98
% (95-100; 217/221). INTERPRETATION: Detection of anti-K39 by
immunochromatographic strip testing is a rapid and non-invasive method
of diagnosing kala-azar, which has good sensitivity and specificity and
is well suited for use in field conditions.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8627048" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8627048" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
8627048</a>
<input name="id_8627048" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8627048" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8627048" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
rK39: a cloned antigen of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi that predicts active visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R Badaró, D Benson, M C Eulálio, M Freire, S Cunha, E M Netto, D Pedral-Sampaio, C Madureira, J M Burns, R L Houghton, J R David, S G Reed<br>
AFFILIATION: Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: J Infect Dis 1996 Mar 173(3):758-61<br>
The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a serious and often fatal
parasitic disease caused by members of the <b>Leishmania</b> donovani complex,
remains problematic. Current methods rely on clinical criteria, parasite
identification in aspirate material, and serology. The latter methods
use crude antigen preparations lacking in specificity. A previously
described cloned antigen, rK39, of <b>Leishmania</b> specific for all members
of the L. donovani complex (L. chagasi, L. donovani, L. infantum) was
very useful in the serodiagnosis by ELISA of both human and canine VL.
The present study demonstrated that rK39 seroreactivity correlated with
active disease. The sera from early or self-healing infected subjects
reacted with leishmanial lysate and were generally nonreactive with rK39
. These data demonstrate the utility of rK39 in the serodiagnosis of VL
and as an indicator of active disease.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8544037" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8544037" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
8544037</a>
<input name="id_8544037" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8544037" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8544037" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Diagnostic and prognostic value of K39 recombinant antigen in Indian leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: S Singh, A Gilman-Sachs, K P Chang, S G Reed<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology/Immunology, University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School, Illinois 60064, USA.<br>
REFERENCE: J Parasitol 1995 Dec 81(6):1000-3<br>
The recombinant product (rK39) of the 39 amino acid repeats encoded by a
kinesin-like gene of visceral <b>Leishmania</b> spp. was further evaluated by
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for its diagnostic potential
in Indian kala-azar (VL) and post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL
). Anti-rK39 antibodies were highly positive in 20 symptomatic cases,
including 6 resistant to single or double chemotherapy, but became
negligible or absent in 9 recently cured patients. Endpoint titration of
samples from the 20 active cases showed that the anti-rK39 IgG titers
fell within a wide range of 10(-2) to > 10(-6), and that their mean was
> 1 order of magnitude higher than in VL reported previously. The anti-
rK39 IgG titers were correlated with parasite burden found in the
patients and remained undiminished in those refractory to chemotherapy.
These results indicate that: (1) the K39 epitope is conserved in Indian
strains of <b>Leishmania</b> donovani, (2) the extremely high levels of K39
antibodies in both VL and PKDL suggest the application of rK39 for
sensitive and specific serodiagnosis, and (3) rK39 ELISA is also
valuable for prognostic evaluation of both diseases.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=7992333" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=7992333" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
7992333</a>
<input name="id_7992333" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7992333" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7992333" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Serodiagnosis of Asian leishmaniasis with a recombinant antigen from the repetitive domain of a <b>Leishmania</b> kinesin.</a><br>
AUTHORS: J Q Qu, L Zhong, M Masoom-Yasinzai, M Abdur-Rab, H S Aksu, S G Reed, K P Chang, A Gilman-Sachs<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Microbiology/Immunology, University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois 60064.<br>
REFERENCE: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 1994 Sep-Oct 88(5):543-5<br>
rK39 is a recombinant product of the 39 amino acid repeats found in a
kinesin-like gene of visceral <b>Leishmania</b> spp. This and other antigens
were compared for immunodiagnostic potential by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay with sera from confirmed cases of Asian cutaneous
and visceral leishmaniasis. In preliminary trials, rK39 proved superior
to 2 purified <b>Leishmania</b> antigens, a cytosolic protein (p36) and a
membrane protein (gp63), for immunodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
Of the 53 visceral cases from China and Pakistan assayed, 52 were
seropositive (98%) at a 10(-1) dilution with 36 ng of rK39. End point
titrations of 27 highly positive samples yielded anti-rK39 antibody
titres ranging from c. 10(-3) to beyond 10(-4). Antigen titrations with
one positive serum further revealed that rK39 was 25-fold more sensitive
than <b>Leishmania</b> whole cell soluble lysates. 31 cutaneous leishmaniasis
cases from Turkey assayed for anti-rK39 antibody gave reactions ranging
from negative or marginally positive to positive. In Brazil, all
cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis cases gave negative results in
this assay.<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=7802487" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=7802487" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
7802487</a>
<input name="id_7802487" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7802487" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7802487" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Sensitivity and specificity of a recombinant <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi antigen in the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: R Badaro, M C Eulalio, D Benson, M Freire, J C Miranda, D Pedral-Sampaio, J M Burns, J R David, W D Johnson, S G Reed<br>
AFFILIATION: Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.<br>
REFERENCE: Arch Inst Pasteur Tunis 1993 Jul-Oct 70(3-4):331-2<br>
<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8421715" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=8421715" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
8421715</a>
<input name="id_8421715" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8421715" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8421715" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Molecular characterization of a kinesin-related antigen of <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi that detects specific antibody in African and American visceral leishmaniasis.</a><br>
AUTHORS: J M Burns, W G Shreffler, D R Benson, H W Ghalib, R Badaro, S G Reed<br>
AFFILIATION: Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, WA 98109.<br>
REFERENCE: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1993 Jan 90(2):775-9<br>
We report the cloning of a <b>Leishmania</b> chagasi antigen gene and an
evaluation of leishmaniasis patient antibody responses to the
recombinant protein, rK39. rK39 contains a 39-amino acid repeat that is
part of a 230-kDa protein predominant in L. chagasi tissue amastigotes.
Sequence analyses showed this protein, LcKin, to be related to the
kinesin superfamily of motor proteins. Southern blot analyses
demonstrated LcKin-related sequences in seven species of <b>Leishmania</b>,
with conservation of the repeat between L. chagasi and <b>Leishmania</b>
donovani. Serological evaluation revealed that 98% (56 of 57) of
Brazilian and 100% (52 of 52) of Sudanese visceral leishmaniasis
patients have high antibody levels to the rK39 repeat. Detectable anti-
K39 antibody was virtually absent in cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis
patients and in individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The data
show that rK39 may replace crude parasite antigens as a basis for
serological diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.<br>
<br><br>
REQUEST: [ sand fly NOT culicoides ]<br>
(1 article matches this request. 1 article matching other requests removed)<br><br>
REQUEST: [ sandfly NOT culicoides ]<br>
(1 article matches this request)<br><br>
PMID: <a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16729709" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/exportAbstract.pl?base=medline-28-1.xml&id=16729709" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
16729709</a>
<input name="id_16729709" value="Y" type="checkbox"><br>
TITLE: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16729709" title="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16729709" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
Detection of a malaria parasite (Plasmodium mexicanum) in ectoparasites (mites and ticks), and possible significance for transmission.</a><br>
AUTHORS: Jos J Schall, Thomas C Smith<br>
AFFILIATION: Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA. <a href="mailto:jschall@zoo.uvm.edu" title="mailto:jschall@zoo.uvm.edu" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
jschall@zoo.uvm.edu</a><br>
REFERENCE: J Parasitol 2006 Apr 92(2):413-5<br>
Two species of sandflies (Lutzomyia) are competent vectors of Plasmodium
mexicanum, a malaria parasite of lizards. The very patchy distribution
of sites with high P. mexicanum prevalence in the lizards, and often low
or even nil <b>sandfly</b> density at such sites, provoked an evaluation of 2
common lizard ectoparasites, the tick Ixodes pacificus and the mite
Geckobiella occidentalis, as potential passive vectors. Plasmodium sp.-
specific polymerase chain primers were used to amplify a long segment of
the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene that is unlikely to survive intact
if the parasite cells are killed within a blood-feeding arthropod. The
segment was strongly amplified from sandflies (the positive control for
the method) from 1 to 96 hr postfeeding on an infected lizard. For ticks
, the gene fragment was poorly amplified at 0 hr postfeed, and not
amplified after 2 hr. In contrast, strong amplification of the parasite
DNA was observed from mites from 0 to 20 hr postfeed, and weak
amplification even at 96 hr.<br>
<br><br>
<map name="10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6"><area shape="RECT" coords="1, 140, 83, 150" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" title="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" title="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/refscout-20" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
</map><img usemap="#10c6aedc100f1816_boxmap-p6" alt="Shop at Amazon.com" border="0" height="150" width="120"><br><br>
<input name="listExport" value="Export Selected" type="submit">
</form><br><br>
You receive this email because you requested RefScout®'s literature update.
If you would like to change or add requests, please go to your user
<a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/user.pl?ACTION=showUser" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/user.pl?ACTION=showUser" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">profile</a>.<br>
If you can't read our newsletter, please resend newsletter back to us to
<a href="mailto:info@refscout.com" title="mailto:info@refscout.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">info@refscout.com</a>, including information
about your operating system and mail client software you use, and we will do our
best to solve the problem.<br>
If you would like to be removed from RefScout®'s literature service, please press the
<a href="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/user.pl?ACTION=deleteUser" title="http://refscout.com/cgi-bin/user.pl?ACTION=deleteUser" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">remove button</a>.
<br><br>
<a href="http://refscout.com/disclaim.html" title="http://refscout.com/disclaim.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">DISCLAIMER</a><br><br>
</div>