title: Clinical features, tissue smear and competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay as dignostic and prognostic procedures for visceral leishmaniasis in Yemen.
abstract: Twenty six Yemeni patients with clinically visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and laboratory abnormalities were subjected to L. donovani species-specific monoclonal antibody (D2) and a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA). The results were compared with those obtained by microscopy Giemsa stained tissue smears of bone marrow or splenic aspiration. Of the patients, 51 (82.3%) were positive and 3 (4.8%) were negative by both microscopy and C-ELISA. An additional 8 (12.9%) who were negative by microscopy were positive by C-ELISA. 59 patients were treated with sodium antimony gluconate, 45 (76.3%) were drug responsive and 14 (23.7%) were drug resistant. The C-ELISA of 17 patients before and after chemotherapy showed a significant decrease in percent inhibition of monoclonal antibodies D2 in drug responsive patients. In drug-unresponsive patients the percent inhibition of D2 was unchanged or slightly increased. The results indicate that C- ELISA is more sensitive and specific than microscopy, especially for early diagnosis of VL and to evaluate the success of drug treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Agina
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Helmy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D015006:Yemen