title: Successful substitution of fetal calf serum by human plasma for bulk cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes.
abstract: The potential of human plasma (HP) or serum (HS) as a replacement for fetal calf serum (FCS) was evaluated in a liver infusion tryptose (LIT) medium for bulk cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes. The promastigote yield with the LIT-FCS standard medium was 0.4-1.8×10(7) ml(-1), and yields of 0.5-3.4×10(7) (P = 0.527) and 0.4-2.4×10(7) (P = 0.062) were recorded for two LIT medium variants containing HP or HS as supplement instead of FCS. Significantly, higher promastigote yields of 1.3-4.9×10(7) ml(-1) were demonstrated when LIT medium was supplemented with HP of blood group O but not A, B, AB or equally pooled ABO (P = 0.007-0.020). Matching (P = 0.56) strong positive (1 : 10 2400 to ≥1 : 262 144 00) and weak negative (1 : 5-1 : 160) direct agglutination test (DAT) titres, respectively, were demonstrated in 24 visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and 45 non-VL sera for both standard LIT-FCS and alternative LIT-HP derived antigens. Our findings indicate strong potential for sustainable production of promastigotes for important diagnostic procedures such as DAT in the VL affected areas.
authors: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Ahfad University for Women, PO Box 167, Omdurman, Sudan.
authors: Abdelhafeiz
authors: A
authors: Mahamoud
authors: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Ahfad University for Women, PO Box 167, Omdurman, Sudan.
authors: Hussam Ali
authors: HA
authors: Osman
authors: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Ahfad University for Women, PO Box 167, Omdurman, Sudan.
authors: Durria
authors: D
authors: Mansour
authors: Retired microbiologist.
authors: Abdallah
authors: A
authors: El Harith
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D002417:Cattle; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000254:growth & development*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000469:parasitology; D010949:Plasma; D044967:Serum; D013397:Sudan
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D003470:Culture Media