Detection of Leishmania in unaffected mucosal tissues of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) species.
BACKGROUND
Leishmania (Viannia) species are the principal cause of mucosal leishmaniasis. The natural history and pathogenesis of mucosal disease are enigmatic. Parasitological evaluation of mucosal tissues has been constrained by the invasiveness of conventional sampling methods.


METHODS
We evaluated the presence of Leishmania in the mucosa of 26 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis and 2 patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Swab samples of the nasal mucosa, tonsils, and conjunctiva were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction with LV-B1 primers and Southern blot hybridization.


RESULTS
Two patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and 21 (81%) of 26 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis had Leishmania kinetoplast minicircle DNA (kDNA) in mucosal tissues. kDNA was amplified from swab samples of nasal mucosa from 14 (58%) of 24 patients, tonsils from 13 (46%) of 28 patients, and conjunctiva from 6 (25%) of 24 patients. kDNA was detected in the mucosa of patients with cutaneous disease caused by Leishmania panamensis, Leishmania guyanensis, and Leishmania braziliensis.


CONCLUSIONS
The asymptomatic presence of parasites in mucosal tissues may be common in patients with Leishmania (Viannia) infection.
Figueroa
Roger Adrian
RA
Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas, Cali, Colombia.
Lozano
Leyder Elena
LE
Romero
Ibeth Cristina
IC
Cardona
Maria Teresa
MT
Prager
Martin
M
Pacheco
Robinson
R
Diaz
Yira Rosalba
YR
Tellez
Jair Alexander
JA
Saravia
Nancy Gore
NG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D055815:Young Adult