title: Amplification of kinetoplast DNA as a tool in the detection and diagnosis of Leishmania.
abstract: This paper demonstrates how the polymerase chain reaction can be used to increase the sensitivity of detection of Leishmania parasites by DNA hybridization methods through the amplification of the minicircle target sequence. The oligonucleotide primers used are able to direct the amplification of all Leishmania strains tested. In addition, the PCR products from L. mexicana and L. braziliensis strains can be distinguished by hybridization with kDNA probes. The method is sensitive enough to detect the kDNA from a single organism and this sensitivity allows the use of nonradioactive hybridization methods. This method can be used to detect Leishmania from human biopsy material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Popper
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Wirth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016054:DNA, Protozoan