First isolation of a new species of Leishmania responsible for human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ghana and classification in the Leishmania enriettii complex

An active case detection approach with PCR diagnosis was used in the Ho District of the Volta Region, Ghana that identified individuals with active cutaneous leishmaniasis. Three isolates were successfully cultured and DNA sequences from these were analysed (ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer 1; ribosomal protein L23a intergenic spacer; RNA polymerase II large subunit), showing them to be Leishmania, identical to each other but different from all other known Leishmania spp. Phylogenetic analysis showed the parasites to be new members of the Leishmania enriettii complex, which is emerging as a possible new subgenus of Leishmania parasites containing human pathogens

The oral health of children who received dental treatment under dental general anaesthesia three years previously in Saudi Arabia

The aims of this investigation were to investigate provision of government funded dental general anaesthetic (DGA) services providing comprehensive treatment for children in Riyadh and to determine effectiveness in terms of subsequent treatment experience and attendance, and oral health status in patients who had received treatment three years previously. Information about services was obtained from ministry sources and from hospital centres. Dental examinations were carried out for children who had DGA and for an independent control group of their siblings. Data about treatment experience was drawn from patient records and information regarding social factors and oral health behaviours was derived from a questionnaire to parents. There were 6 centres providing DGA in Riyadh of which 4 agreed to take part. Information was provided for 483 patients treated over a two year period, 93% of whom were less than 10 and 50% less than 5 years old at the time of treatment. Three hundred and forty seven of the children (72%) attended for examination (study group) together with 319 siblings (control group). On average, 4.2 primary teeth were extracted and 7.7 restored per child under DGA, Stainless steel (preformed metal) crowns were placed for 73% of patients. Those having DGA had attended fewer appointments than their siblings in the subsequent three years. At examination, children in the study group had poorer oral health; mean dmft was 9.2 per child compared to 5.5 in the control group. More (90%) had active caries in primary teeth than did controls (77%) but numbers of decayed teeth were little different. In permanent teeth, more children in the study group had untreated disease and the amount of decay was greater. Plaque and gingivitis were also worse. Provision of treatment under DGA had been an effective means of providing large amount of treatment for young children

The oral health of children who received dental treatment under dental general anaesthesia three years previously in Saudi Arabia Modelling growth and maturation in primate and human evolution

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN055638 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Polymorphic microsatellite repeats are not conserved between Leishmania donovani and Leishmania major

Thirteen sets of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed to amplify microsatellite loci identified in the genome sequence of Leishmania major. Polymorphisms were detected in L. major at all loci. In Leishmania donovani only two of these loci were informative for classification purposes with this data set. The PCR products of all loci from one L. donovani strain were sequenced and it was found that the number of repeats in the microsatellite loci were either substantially reduced with respect to L. major or absent altogether. Consequently it is unlikely to be possible to use the genome sequence of L. major to identify polymorphic microsatellite loci in other Leishmania species