title: Detection of Leishmania in unaffected mucosal tissues of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) species.
abstract: 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.
authors: Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas, Cali, Colombia.
authors: Roger Adrian
authors: RA
authors: Figueroa
authors: Leyder Elena
authors: LE
authors: Lozano
authors: Ibeth Cristina
authors: IC
authors: Romero
authors: Maria Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Cardona
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Prager
authors: Robinson
authors: R
authors: Pacheco
authors: Yira Rosalba
authors: YR
authors: Diaz
authors: Jair Alexander
authors: JA
authors: Tellez
authors: Nancy Gore
authors: NG
authors: Saravia
mesh_terms: 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