title: A comparison of molecular markers to detect Lutzomyia longipalpis naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to detect natural infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Lutzomyia longipalpis captured in Barcarena, state of Pará, Brazil, through the use of three primer sets. With this approach, it is unnecessary to previously dissect the sandfly specimens. DNA of 280 Lu. longipalpis female specimens were extracted from the whole insects. PCR primers for kinetoplast minicircle DNA (kDNA), the mini-exon gene and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene of Leishmania were used, generating fragments of 400 bp, 780 bp and 603 bp, respectively. Infection by the parasite was found with the kDNA primer in 8.6% of the cases, with the mini-exon gene primer in 7.1% of the cases and with the SSU-rRNA gene primer in 5.3% of the cases. These data show the importance of polymerase chain reaction as a tool for investigating the molecular epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis by estimating the risk of disease transmission in endemic areas, with the kDNA primer representing the most reliable marker for the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunopatologia Molecular, Departamento de Patologia Médica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kárita Cláudia
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Freitas-Lidani
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunopatologia Molecular, Departamento de Patologia Médica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: Iara J de
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Messias-Reason
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Edna Aoba Y
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics*; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast / Q000235:genetics*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018105:DNA, Kinetoplast; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D005819:Genetic Markers