title: Familial aggregation of mucosal leishmaniasis in northeast Brazil.
abstract: To evaluate whether familial clustering occurs in mucosal leishmaniasis (ML), patients with ML (index cases) were randomly selected from medical records at a health post in an endemic area for Leishmania braziliensis infection. Control individuals (index controls) matched by age, gender, and place of residence to index cases were selected. Family members of index cases and controls were compared with respect to environmental factors and the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and ML. Delayed type hypersensitivity test (DTH) to Leishmania antigen was tested in selected families. Among 289 members of 46 families enrolled, significant differences were found in the frequencies of CL (37% versus 20%) and ML (5% versus 0) in case versus control families, respectively. Families with 2 cases of ML had a higher frequency (29.6%) of DTH-positive individuals than control families (9.4%). These data demonstrate familial clustering of CL, ML, and positive DTH skin tests in an area endemic for L. braziliensis infection.
authors: Serviço de Imunologia Hospital Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador-Bahia, Brazil. imuno@ufba.br
authors: Léa
authors: L
authors: Castellucci
authors: Lay Har
authors: LH
authors: Cheng
authors: Cibele
authors: C
authors: Araújo
authors: Luiz Henrique
authors: LH
authors: Guimarães
authors: Hélio
authors: H
authors: Lessa
authors: Paulo
authors: P
authors: Machado
authors: Mirela Frederico
authors: MF
authors: Almeida
authors: Adja
authors: A
authors: Oliveira
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Ko
authors: Warren D
authors: WD
authors: Johnson
authors: Mary E
authors: ME
authors: Wilson
authors: Edgar M
authors: EM
authors: Carvalho
authors: Amélia Ribeiro
authors: AR
authors: DE Jesus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004560:Electricity; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D009679:Nuclear Family; D009790:Occupations; D010375:Pedigree; D012882:Skin Tests