title: Detection and characterization by immunoblot analysis of potentially diagnostic Leishmania infantum polypeptides in human visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Humoral immune responses were studied in 53 sera from 18 patients with visceral leishmaniasis by immunoblot analysis. Sera from visceral leishmaniasis patients recognized antigens with molecular weights ranging from < 14 kDa to more than 100 kDa. Bands ranging between 49 and < 14 kDa were the most specific. The 40, 33 and 17 kDa antigens were recognized by 90%, 79% and 79% of the patients sera, respectively. Sera from one patient with Chagas' disease identified 8 of 11 antigens of the specific region. Treatment with periodate eliminated the cross-reaction in three of these antigens (40, 29, 26 kDa). The study of serial sera collected from the different patients showed a decrease in intensity or dissappearance in some of the diagnostic bands, particularly the 17 kDa band. The band of 17 kDa seems to be useful to study the clinical evolution, for post-treatment control and also for epidemiologic purposes. (It has been identified in 7% of control sera from endemic areas.) Immunoblot could be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis, being more sensitive and specific than other serologic tests.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Microbiologia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardeñosa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riera
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portús
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prats
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D002241:Carbohydrates; D000939:Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins