title: Comparison of polymerase chain reaction with other laboratory methods for the diagnosis of American cutaneous leishmaniasis: diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis by polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: An evaluation of 5 laboratory methods for diagnosing American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) was carried out on patients from an endemic area of Brazil. From 164 patients presenting cutaneous lesions, and suspected to have ACL, 133 (81.1%) were confirmed for the disease by Montenegro skin test (MST) and/or parasitologic examination (PE). In both groups of patients, the positivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was similar to that of immunofluorescence assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and higher than that of MST and PE (P < .05). In the group of patients suspected to have ACL, PCR presented the same positivity as PE and MST together. No correlation between positivity of the laboratory methods and clinical or epidemiologic aspects was observed. Our data confirmed the value of PCR as an alternative laboratory method for diagnosing ACL, especially for those patients with negative PE and MST.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Volpini
authors.forename: George L L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Machado-Coelho
authors.forename: Jackson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machado-Pinto
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mayrink
authors.forename: Odair
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Genaro
authors.forename: Alvaro J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Romanha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan