ITS1 PCR-RFLP Diagnosis and Characterization ofLeishmaniain Clinical Samples and Strains from Cases of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in States of the Mexican Southeast

Abstract

American cutaneous leishmaniasis includes a spectrum of clinical forms localized cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis which can be caused by different strains ofLeishmaniabelonging to theL. mexicanaorL. braziliensiscomplexes which may coexist in the same endemic area. We evaluated the PCR-RFLP assay of the ITS1 genes for direct identification ofLeishmaniaspecies in 163 clinical samples and 21 Mexican isolates ofLeishmania. In relation to the Mexican isolates ofLeishmania52% displayed a pattern similar to theL. (L.) mexicana, 5% showed a mixed pattern compatible withL. (L.) mexicanaandL. (V.) braziliensis, eight withL. (L.) amazonensisandL. (L.) mexicana, and one toL. (V.) braziliensis. Most of the clinical samples, 109/116 (94%), gave a pattern similar to that of theL. mexicana, two clinical samples gave similar patterns to that ofLeishmaniabraziliensis, and 5 samples gave patterns that suggest a coinfection ofL. (L.) mexicanaandL. (V.) braziliensisorL. (L.) mexicanaandL. (L.) amazonensis. The ITS1 PCR-RFLP assay is a multipurpose tool for diagnosis ofLeishmaniafrom clinical samples and enables determination of the infecting species of New WorldLeishmaniain the field in relatively short time and low cost.