A comparison of molecular markers to detect Lutzomyia
longipalpis naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania)
infantum
|
| |
| Authors: | Kárita Cláudia Freitas-Lidani Iara J de Messias-Reason Edna Aoba Y Ishikawa |
| |
| Institution: | 1.Laboratório de Imunopatologia Molecular, Departamento de Patologia Médica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil;2.Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil |
| |
| Abstract: | The aim of the present study was to detect natural infection by Leishmania
(Leishmania) infantum in Lutzomyia longipalpis captured
in Barcarena, state of Pará, Brazil, through the use of three primer sets. With this
approach, it is unnecessary to previously dissect the sandfly specimens. DNA of
280 Lu. longipalpis female specimens were extracted from the
whole insects. PCR primers for kinetoplast minicircle DNA (kDNA), the mini-exon gene
and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene of Leishmania
were used, generating fragments of 400 bp, 780 bp and 603 bp, respectively.
Infection by the parasite was found with the kDNA primer in 8.6% of the cases, with
the mini-exon gene primer in 7.1% of the cases and with the SSU-rRNA gene primer in
5.3% of the cases. These data show the importance of polymerase chain reaction as a
tool for investigating the molecular epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis by
estimating the risk of disease transmission in endemic areas, with the kDNA primer
representing the most reliable marker for the parasite. |
| |
| Keywords: | visceral leishmaniasis Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum Lutzomyia longipalpis |
|
|
