Desjeux, P.

Le Pont, François

Mouchet, Jean

Pratlong, F.

Rioux, J.A.

Torres Espejo, J.M.

Horizon / Pleins textes

.- 
Mem. Insr. OswaLdo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 
Vol. 84 (4): 583.out./dez. 1989 Research Note 
LEISHMANIASIS IN BOLIVIA. V. HUMAN STRAINS OF LEISHMANIA (V.) 
BRAZILIENSIS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PANDO 
JOSE MIGUEL TORRES ESPEJO, FRANCINE PRATLONG", FRANçOIS LE PONT"", JEAN 
MOUCHET**, PHILIPPE DESJEUX""' & JEAN-ANTOINE RIOUX* 
IBBA, casilla 824, LaPa, Bolivia * Laboratoire d'Ecologie Médicale, 163 Rue A. Broussonnet, 34000, 
Montpellier. France ** ORSTOM, 70.74 route d'Aulnay, Bondy, France *** OhlS, PDP/TRY, 1211 
Genève 27, Suisse 
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is widespread in the 
Amazonian area of Bolivia, but the parasite 
involved has not so far been identified. 
in a survey in January 1988, biopsies were 
taken from ulcers on the legs of seven patients; 
all of them usually worked in the forest, 
harvesting Brazil-nuts (Bertholletia excelsa). 
Each sample was crushed and then inoculated 
into the four paws of an hamster; the animais 
were then sent to the Laboratory of Medical 
Ecology, Faculty of Medicine, Montpellier, 
France. 
Six months later,the animals were sacrificed. 
Liver, spleen, bone marrow and subcutaneous 
paw tissues were crushed and macerated in 
NNN culture medium. Two stocks of Leishma- 
nia were obtained, one from the paw tissue of 
one hamster. the other from the bone marrow 
of another hamster. Both stocks are Leishmania 
(V.) braziliensis according to isoenzymatic 
_ I  - typification by starch-gel electrophoresis and 
based on twelve enzymes: ME, EC 1. 1. 1. 40; 
PGD, EC 1. 1. 1. 44; G6PD, EC 1. 1. 1. 49; 
DIA, EC 1. 6. 7,. 7;  "1, EC 2. 4. 2. 1; "2,  
EC 2. 4. 2.'; GOTI, EC 2. 6. 1. 1; GOT2, EC 
2.6.l.l;PGM?,EC2.7.5.1;FH,EC4.2.1.2; 
MPI, EC 5 .  3. 1. 8; GPI, EC 5. 3. 1. 9 and six 
reference strains. 
The zymodeme of the hamster paw stock 
(MON-43) is identical with the WHO reference 
strain for that 'species: MHOM/BR/75/M-2903. 
The zymodeme of the second stock (MON44) 
Received July 10, 1989. 
Accepted August 28, 1989. 
rcIL 
/ / 9 L  
differs from the reference strain by only one 
enzymatic system (malic enzyme). This zymo- 
deme has been already recorded from Colombia 
(G. Moreno et al., 1986, p. 165-172. Ln J. -A. 
Rioux Leishmania, Taxonomie et phylogenèse. 
Applications eco-épidémiologiqnes. LVEEE, 
Montpellier). 
Finding L. braziliensis in the Amazonian 
area of Bolivia is not surprising as this parasite 
is widely distributed in the low!ands of the 
country (P. Desjeux et al., 1986, p. 401410. 
In J. .A. Rioux Leishmania, Taronomie et 
p hy loge'nèse. Applications éco-épidémiologi- 
ques, IMEEE, Montpellier; P. Desjeux et  al., 
1987, Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 81, 
742-746). But it should be pointed out that the 
ulcers in the Pando are small and their scars 
present a very peculiar appearance, resembling 
a coin. The local nane is ''livra", meaning 
sterling pound; only two cases among 108 
patients showed evolutive, mucocutaneous 
'lesions (obs. peri ) .  ÀS leishmaniasis -is "a well- ' 
known disease, people ilse local plants for 
application to the sores, so it is difficult to 
know the actual percentage of evolutive 
forms. Similarly, in the lowlands (Yapacani 
focus) of the Department of Santa Cruz 
(M. Recacoechea et al., 1987, Proceedings 
NATO ASI, Series A, 163), and in the lowland 
rainforest of French Guyana (P. Chalchat et al., 
1965, Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., 58: 73-80) it has 
been observed that L. braziliensis rarely evolves 
into mucocutaneous forms. 
0.R.S.T.B.M. Fonds Documentaire 
N o i  31199Q 
CDfe ? 


Leishmaniasis in Bolivia : 5. Human strains of Leishmania (V.) braziliensis from the department of Pando

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Horizon / Pleins textes