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

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.