Specific K39 antibody response and its persistence after treatment in patients with imported leishmaniasis.

ABSTRACT: The sensitivity of a K39 ELISA (Leishmania IgG, Virion/Serion) for the detection of antibodies in patients with imported leishmaniasis was compared with an immunofluorescence assay (IFA), which was applied as "golden standard". The retrospective study comprised 93 IFA-positive or borderline sera from 42 patients with visceral (n = 16) or cutaneous (n = 26) leishmaniasis. Patients had acquired infection predominately in the Mediterranean area or the Middle East. The Leishmania species (Leishmania donovani/infantum, Leishmania tropica, Leishmania major) were identified by real-time PCR. The majority (94%) of first samples from patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) tested positive by K39 ELISA. Antibody levels ranged from low to very high (33.19-1990.00 U/ml; median 596.66 U/ml) but did n

SUBMITTER: Reiter-Owona I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4722063 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature