title: Comparison of the polymerase chain reaction and serology for the detection of canine visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology was evaluated for the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Bahia, Brazil in a study of 125 dogs. The PCR was 100% sensitive in 25 dogs that had Leishmania demonstrated by either culture or hamster inoculation. It was 100% specific for 35 dogs from the northeastern United States, all were PCR negative. However, 22 of 54 Brazilian dogs that were culture-hamster inoculation-negative were positive by PCR. The nature of the PCR product was identified by hybridization with specific Leishmania probes. Whereas the sensitivity of serology in relationship to infection, as determined by hamster or culture assay was more than 80%, sensitivity of serology was only 63% when compared with PCR. These results raise questions about the use of serology to detect Leishmania infection in dogs, and suggest that the PCR might serve as a better gold standard to define Leishmania infection than culture or hamster inoculation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ashford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eulalio
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Degrave
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Barker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000469:parasitology; D006224:Cricetinae; D017931:DNA Primers; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D017931:DNA Primers; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast