title: Low frequency of LRV1 in Leishmania braziliensis strains isolated from typical and atypical lesions in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
abstract: The double stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus Leishmaniavirus (Totiviridae) was first described in Leishmania guyanensis and L. braziliensis (LRV1), and more recently from L. major and L. aethiopica (LRV2). Parasites bearing LRV1 elicit a higher pro-inflammatory profile, arising through activation of Toll like receptor 3(TLR3) interacting with the viral dsRNA. LRV1 is most common in Leishmania from the Amazon region; however data for other regions of Brazil are more limited. Here we applied PCR tests with validated 'universal' LRV1 primers to search for LRV1 in 40 strains of cultured L. braziliensis from several locales within Minas Gerais State, including patients presenting with atypical lesion pathology. All strains were negative however. These data are in agreement with results from other areas of Southeastern Brazil that LRV1 is relatively uncommon.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diego H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menezes-Neto
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jeronimo M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rugani
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Soraia O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Lon-Fye
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lye
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Beverley
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Célia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gontijo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: rsoares@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Rodrigo P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D062306:Geography, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: American cutaneous leishmaniasis; Leishmania braziliensis; Totiviridae