• Medientyp: E-Artikel
  • Titel: Molecular Characterization of a Kinesin-Related Antigen of Leishmania chagasi that Detects Specific Antibody in African and American Visceral Leishmaniasis
  • Beteiligte: Burns,, James M.; Shreffler, Wayne G.; Benson, Darin R.; Ghalib, Hashim W.; Badaro, Roberto; Reed, Steven G.
  • Erschienen: National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1993
  • Erschienen in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 90 (1993) 2, Seite 775-779
  • Sprache: Englisch
  • ISSN: 0027-8424
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  • Beschreibung: We report the cloning of a Leishmania chagasi antigen gene and an evaluation of leishmaniasis patient antibody responses to the recombinant protein, rK39. rK39 contains a 39-amino acid repeat that is part of a 230-kDa protein predominant in L. chagasi tissue amastigotes. Sequence analyses showed this protein, LcKin, to be related to the kinesin superfamily of metor proteins. Southern blot analyses demonstrated LcKin-related sequences in seven species of Leishmania, with conservation of the repeat between L. chagasi and Leishmania donovani. Serological evaluation revealed that 98% (56 of 57) of Brazilian and 100% (52 of 52) of Sudanese visceral leishmaniasis patients have high antibody levels to the rK39 repeat. Detectable anti-K39 antibody was virtually absent in cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis patients and in individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The data show that rK39 may replace crude parasite antigens as a basis for serological diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
  • Zugangsstatus: Freier Zugang