title: Evaluation of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi strains isolated from dogs originating from two visceral leishmaniasis-endemic areas in Brazil using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Domestic dogs are the most important reservoir in the peridomestic transmission cycle of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. The genetic variability of subpopulations of this parasite circulating in dogs has not been thoroughly analyzed in Brazil, even though this knowledge has important implications in the clinical-epidemiological context.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the phenotypic variability of 153 L. chagasi strains isolated from dogs originating from the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro (n = 57) and Belo Horizonte (n = 96), where the disease is endemic. Strains isolated only from intact skin were selected and analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis using nine enzyme systems (6PG, GPI, NH1 and NH2, G6P, PGM, MDH, ME, and IDHNADP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The electrophoretic profile was identical for all isolates analyzed and was the same as that of the L. chagasi reference strain (MHOM/BR/74/PP75). Phenetic analysis showed a similarity index of one for all strains, with the isolates sharing 100% of the characteristics analyzed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that the L. chagasi populations circulating in dogs from Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte belong to a single zymodeme.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Ribeiro
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Dilvani Oliveira
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Cibele
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: Fabiano Borges
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Maria de Fatima
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Madeira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010641:Phenotype