title: Molecular epidemiology of Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis in French Guiana.
abstract: Little information is available about the genetic variability of Leishmania populations and the possible correlations with ecoepidemiological features of leishmaniases. The present study was carried out in French Guiana, a country where cutaneous leishmaniases (CL) are endemic over the whole territory. The genetic polymorphism of a nuclear sequence encompassing the end of the ribosomal small subunit and the internal transcribed spacer 1 of 265 isolates from patients with CL was examined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Genotypes based on the fingerprinting phenetic integration were compared to epidemiological, clinical, and geographical data. In agreement with previous reports, five different Leishmania species were identified, but Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis represented 95.8% of the samples. Two distinct L. (V.) guyanensis populations were found to originate in two ecologically characterized regions. Higher lesional parasite densities and the need for additional treatments were significantly linked to genotype group I. Parasites of genotype group II were more likely to cause chronic and disseminated cutaneous forms in patients. L. (V.) guyanensis was previously said not to be very polymorphic; however, the present analysis resulted in a significant degree of discrimination among L. (V.) guyanensis isolates from diverse ecological areas and with different clinical implications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Hospitalo-universitaire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Equipe EA 3593, UFR de Médecine de l'Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, Campus Saint-Denis, BP 718, 97336 Cayenne, Guyane Française.
authors.forename: Brice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rotureau
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nacher
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Couppié
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Curtet
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dedet
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Carme
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005616:French Guiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D018334:Leishmania guyanensis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007897:Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer