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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 78(5), 2008, pp. 741-744
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Leishmania infantum DNA Detection in Urine from Patients with Visceral Leishmaniasis and after Treatment Control

Roser Fisa*, Cristina Riera, Paulo López-Chejade, Israel Molina, Montserrat Gállego, Vicenç Falcó, Esteban Ribera, AND Montserrat Portús
Laboratory of Parasitology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d‘Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

A urine–polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was validated for diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniosis (VL), taking advantage of the accessibility of urine samples. Leishmania infantum DNA presence was examined in 17 urine samples from 17 patients with VL during a clinical episode and in 55 urine samples from 17 patients with VL monitored after treatment at different intervals. Fifty-nine urine samples from 59 controls with no history of VL were also studied. The urine–PCR test was positive in 15/17 samples obtained during the episode (sensitivity, 88%). None of the controls tested were urine–PCR positive (specificity, 100%). During the monitoring period, 25% of the samples gave a positive urine–PCR. Results were compared with other diagnostic methods, such as urine antigen detection and peripheral blood–PCR and culture, with good concordance during the clinical episode and differences in the follow-up period. This study suggests that urine–PCR is sensitive for diagnosis and may be useful to monitor treatment efficacy.

Received July 19, 2007. Accepted for publication November 20, 2007.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank S. Tebar for excellent technical assistance and R. Rycroft for English revision of the manuscript.

Financial support: This study was partially supported by Grant ACES 2006 Universitat of Barcelona.

* Address correspondence to Roser Fisa, Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Avda Joan XXIII sn, Barcelona, Spain 08028. E-mail: rfisa{at}ub.edu

Authors’ addresses: Roser Fisa, Cristina Riera, Paulo López-Chejade, Montserrat Gállego, and Montserrat Portús, Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda Joan XXIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain, Telephone: 34-93-4024502, Fax: 34-93-4024504. Israel Molina, Vicenç Falcó, and Esteban Ribera, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d‘Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Paseig Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, Telephone: 34-93-2746090.






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Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.