title: Real-time polymerase chain reaction diagnosis of leishmaniasis in Panama from both fresh and frozen tissue.
abstract: Skin biopsies stored in ethanol from 49 patients with suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) were tested in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and compared with conventional diagnostic methods. With clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, PCR had a sensitivity of 96% (47/49) vs. 61% (30/49) for histopathology and 33% (16/49) for culture. In addition, DNA was extracted from 70 frozen smears of lesions from suspected cases of CL and tested with the same assay. In these samples, the PCR had a sensitivity of 61% (43/70) vs. 56% (39/70) for histopathology and 41% (29/70) for culture. In this study, real-time PCR offered a rapid diagnosis with an enhanced sensitivity over conventional methods. Although the yield of PCR diagnosis was lower when testing frozen smears, the assay still outperformed existing diagnostic modalities.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Division, Ward 63, ID Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20307-5001, USA. glenn.wortmann@na.amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: Glenn W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Wortmann
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortega-Barria
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bayard
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006801:Humans; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology