title: The isolation and molecular characterization of Leishmania spp. from patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis in northwest Argentina.
abstract: American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is a group of zoonotic diseases caused by kinetoplastid flagellates of the genus Leishmania. A total of 66 patients diagnosed as positive ATL cases from northwest Argentina were included in this study. Leishmania stocks were isolated in vitro and analyzed over promastigote cultures sown on FTA through nested PCR and sequence of cytochrome b (cyt b). The molecular analysis resulted in the incrimination of L. (Viannia) braziliensis as the predominant species in the studied area, identifying two genotypes of L. (V.) braziliensis, 24 cases of Ab-1 cyt b and 41 cases of Ab-2 cyt b. One L. (V.) guyanensis strain was obtained from a traveler from the Brazilian Amazon. The prevalence of different genotypes was in agreement with previous studies, suggesting the necessity for new systems to study the genetic diversity in more detail. Most of the cases typified in this study were registered in the area of Zenta Valley (Orán, Hipólito Yrigoyen, and Pichanal cities), pointing a link between genotype and geographical origin of the sample. Sex and age distribution of the patients indicate that the transmission was predominantly associated with rural areas or rural activities, although the results might not exclude the possibility of peri-urban transmission. This work represents, so far, the largest isolation and molecular characterization of ATL cases in Argentina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan; Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina. Electronic address: fm.locatelli@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fabricio M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina.
authors.forename: S Pamela
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cajal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina; Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paola A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lauthier
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juarez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotomo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Julio R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nasser
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan; Centro de Biomedicina, Universidad Central del Ecuador y Proyecto Prometeo, SNESCYT, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korenaga
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Sede Regional Orán, Universidad Nacional de Salta, San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina; Instituto de Patología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Salta/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Marco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis; Cytochrome b; Genotyping; Leishmania (V.) braziliensis