rK39: A Cloned Antigen of Leishmania chagasi that Predicts Active Visceral Leishmaniasis

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a serious and often fatal parasitic disease caused by members of the Leishmania donovani complex, remains problematic. Current methods rely on clinical criteria, parasite identification in aspirate material, and serology. The latter methods use crude ant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1996-03, Vol.173 (3), p.758-761
Main Authors: Badaró, R., Benson, D., Eulálio, M. C., Freire, M., Cunha, S., Netto, E. M., Pedral-Sampaio, D., Madureira, C., Burns, J. M., Houghton, R. L., David, J. R., Reed, S. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Protozoan - blood
Antibody Specificity
Antigens
Antigens, Protozoan - genetics
Biological and medical sciences
Biomarkers
Brazil - epidemiology
Chagas disease
Child
Cloning, Molecular
Concise Communications
Cross Reactions
Dogs
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Epidemiology
Human protozoal diseases
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Leishmania chagasi
Leishmania donovani
Leishmania infantum
Leishmania infantum - genetics
Leishmania infantum - immunology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - diagnosis
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - immunology
Leshmaniasis
Medical sciences
Parasitic diseases
Protozoal diseases
Protozoan Proteins - genetics
Protozoan Proteins - immunology
Serologic Tests
Symptoms
Tuberculosis
Visceral leishmaniasis
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Description
Summary:The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a serious and often fatal parasitic disease caused by members of the Leishmania donovani complex, remains problematic. Current methods rely on clinical criteria, parasite identification in aspirate material, and serology. The latter methods use crude antigen preparations lacking in specificity. A previously described cloned antigen, rK39, of Leishmania specific for all members of the L. donovani complex (L. chagasi, L. donovani, L. infantum) was very useful in the serodiagnosis by ELISA of both human and canine VL. The present study demonstrated that rK39 seroreactivity correlated with active disease. The sera from early or self-healing infected subjects reacted with leishmanial lysate and were generally nonreactive with rK39. These data demonstrate the utility of rK39 in the serodiagnosis of VL and as an indicator of active disease.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/173.3.758