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CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS CAUSED BY LEISHMANIA TROPICA IN BIKANER, INDIA: PARASITE IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION USING MOLECULAR AND IMMUNOLOGIC TOOLS

Identification of new foci of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), along with reports of Leishmania donovani causing the disease, is an issue of concern. Clinico-epidemiologic analysis of 98 cases in the endemic regions of Rajasthan state, India, suggested the preponderance of infection in men (62.24%) compared with women (37.75%). Species characterization by internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), kDNA-PCR, and immunofluorescence assay established L. tropica as the causative organism. When applied directly to 32 clinical samples, kDNA PCR had a sensitivity of 96.6%, whereas ITS1 PCR had a sensitivity of 82.75%, thus facilitating diagnosis and species identification. Either parasite culture or direct microscopy alone detected 48.2% and 65.5% of the positive samples, respectively, whereas culture and microscopy together improved overall sensitivity to 89.3% (25/28). Except for the kDNA PCR, all other assays were 100% specific. This study provides the first comprehensive molecular and immunologic studies of CL in India.

Received August 28, 2006. Accepted for publication November 24, 2006.

Financial support: Financial assistance by Indian Council of Medical Research is gratefully acknowledged.

^* Address correspondence to Poonam Salotra, Institute of Pathology (ICMR), Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi 110 029, India. E-mail: salotra{at}vsnl.com

Authors’ addresses: Rajesh Kumar, Nasim A. Ansari, and Poonam Salotra, Institute of Pathology (ICMR), Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi 110 029, India, Telephone: 91-11-26166124, Fax: 91-11-2619 8401, E-mail: salotra{at}vsnl.com. Ram Avtar Bumb and Rajesh D. Mehta, Department of Skin, V.D. and Leprosy, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner 334003, India.

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