Field validation of a Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana exo-antigens ELISA for diagnosing tegumentary leishmaniasis in regions of Leishmania (Viannia) predominance.

Background: Several tests are performed to obtain better accuracy when diagnosing American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). It is believed that antigens released via secretion, excretion and metabolism are more specific than are antigens released by the lysis of Leishmania parasites. Such antigens are known as exo-antigens (exo-Ag) and are formed from products released by cultured parasites in a way that is similar to that in which they cause infections in hosts.

Complementary exams in the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

The diagnosis of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis is a difficult but essential task when considering the high toxicity profile of the drugs available. Since the discovery of its etiologic agent, numerous diagnostic tests have been developed. None of the tests available today can be considered as the gold standard, since they do not add enough accuracy for the disease detection.

Periungual leishmaniasis.

The vast majority of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis are represented by limb injuries. A female patient, white, presented an ulcer with infiltrated borders located on the fourth finger of the left hand following occupational exposure in an area of native forest. Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania of the subgenus Viannia was confirmed.

Comparative evaluation of different immunoassays for the detection of Taenia solium cysticercosis in swine with low parasite burden.

Seven swine were experimentally infected with Taenia solium eggs and blood samples from each animal were periodically collected. At the end of the experiment (t140) the animals did not show clinical aspects of cysticercosis or parasites in tongue inspection. All animals were slaughtered and cut into thin slices in searching for cysts.

The dog as model for chemotherapy of the Chagas' disease.

In the present study, we investigated the role of dogs as experimental models for acute and chronic phases of Chagas' disease, before and after therapeutic treatments. Dogs were infected with Trypanosoma cruzi strains of different susceptibilities to benznidazole (Bz) and treated with the same therapeutic scheme as used for human chagasic. The treatment with Bz was able to prevent death and induced parasitological cure in 62.