Objective. To study cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), in the Calakmul municipality of the Campeche State, during two years. Materials and methods. Individuals with skin lesions were evaluated. Aspirates taken from the lesions were cultured, PCR was performed to diagnose the Leishmania species. Results. The culture detected 42% of the samples. PCR diagnosed CL in 76% of the samples; of those 38% were from children and 62% from adults. 89% of the patients were infected with L. mexicana; 14.4% with Mexican strains of L. mexicana; 7% with L. braziliensis; 3.6% with L. mexicana and L. braziliensis. The most affected villages with CL were Dos Lagunas Sur with 12.3%, La Mancolona with 6.5% and La Guadalupe with 2.2% of prevalence, respectively. After the treatment with Glucantime, 96% of the patients were healed. Conclusion. CL is an important public health concern in Calakmul, and the parasite causing it belongs to Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania braziliensis complexes.

Objetivo. Estudiar la leishmaniasis cutánea en Calakmul, Campeche, México, durante dos años. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron individuos con lesiones cutáneas, se tomaron aspirados y se inocularon medios de cultivo; se realizó la técnica de PCR para identificar la especie de Leishmania. Resultados. Los cultivos detectaron 42% de las muestras. Con la PCR se amplificaron 76% de las muestras, 38% fueron tomadas de niños y 62% de adultos. En 89% de las muestras positivas se identificó Leishmania mexicana, en 14.4% cepas mexicanas de L. mexicana, en 7% L. braziliensis y en 3.6% L. mexicana y L. braziliensis. En Dos Lagunas Sur se encontró una prevalencia de 12.3%, en La Mancolona 6.5% y en La Virgen 2.2%. Del total de los pacientes, 96% se curó con Glucantime. Conclusion. La leishmaniasis cutánea es un problema de salud pública en Calakmul y las especies causantes pertenecen a los complejos Leishmania mexicana y Leishmania braziliensis.

Objective. To study cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), in the Calakmul municipality of the Campeche State, during two years. Materials and methods. Individuals with skin lesions were evaluated. Aspirates taken from the lesions were cultured, PCR was performed to diagnose the Leishmania species. Results. The culture detected 42% of the samples. PCR diagnosed CL in 76% of the samples; of those 38% were from children and 62% from adults. 89% of the patients were infected with L. mexicana; 14.4% with Mexican strains of L. mexicana; 7% with L. braziliensis; 3.6% with L. mexicana and L. braziliensis. The most affected villages with CL were Dos Lagunas Sur with 12.3%, La Mancolona with 6.5% and La Guadalupe with 2.2% of prevalence, respectively. After the treatment with Glucantime, 96% of the patients were healed. Conclusion. CL is an important public health concern in Calakmul, and the parasite causing it belongs to Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania braziliensis complexes.

Objetivo. Estudiar la leishmaniasis cutánea en Calakmul, Campeche, México, durante dos años. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron individuos con lesiones cutáneas, se tomaron aspirados y se inocularon medios de cultivo; se realizó la técnica de PCR para identificar la especie de Leishmania. Resultados. Los cultivos detectaron 42% de las muestras. Con la PCR se amplificaron 76% de las muestras, 38% fueron tomadas de niños y 62% de adultos. En 89% de las muestras positivas se identificó Leishmania mexicana, en 14.4% cepas mexicanas de L. mexicana, en 7% L. braziliensis y en 3.6% L. mexicana y L. braziliensis. En Dos Lagunas Sur se encontró una prevalencia de 12.3%, en La Mancolona 6.5% y en La Virgen 2.2%. Del total de los pacientes, 96% se curó con Glucantime. Conclusion. La leishmaniasis cutánea es un problema de salud pública en Calakmul y las especies causantes pertenecen a los complejos Leishmania mexicana y Leishmania braziliensis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus to enhance resistance against Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi AS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: NIH mice were IP injected with viable lactobacillus casei seven days (LC1 group) or 7 and 14 days (LC2 group) before the challenge (day 0) with Plasmodium chabaudi parasitized red blood cells (pRBC). Control mice were inoculated with pRBC only. When parasitaemia was resolved, naive mice were injected with spleen cells from each group. The parasitaemia was measured. Nitric oxide (NO.) in serum was determined. RESULTS: Mice from the LC1 group presented a reduction in parasitaemia, with a prepatent period of five days, parasitaemia lasted 11 days, and the peak was (36.3 % pRBC) on the 12th day post-infection. Mice from the LC2 group showed a prepatent period of five days, parasitaemia lasted eight days, and the peak (30 % pRBC) was of on the 11th day. In the control, the prepatent period was three days, the parasitaemia lasted 15 days, and the peak (51% pRBC) was on day nine. Mice inoculated with spleen cells from the LC2 group showed a prepatent period of 21 days, parasitaemia lasted seven days, and the peak (13.5% pRBC) was on the 26th day. CONCLUSION: L. casei enhanced nonspecific resistance to P. chabaudi, as indicated by longer prepatent periods, reduced parasitaemia, and reduction in the viability of the parasites recovered from the spleen of infected mice, along with high concentrations of NO. in serum.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la capacidad de Lactobacillus casei de aumentar la resistencia a la infección con Plasmodium chabaudi en ratones. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Ratones NIH fueron inyectados intraperitonealmente con L. casei viable 7 días (grupo LC1) o 7 y 14 días (grupo LC2) antes del reto (día 0) con glóbulos rojos parasitados (GRP) con P. chabaudi. Los testigos fueron inoculados con GRP solamente. Cuando la parasitemia se resolvió, se inocularon ratones limpios con células de bazo de cada grupo. Se midió la concentración de óxido nítrico (NO.) en suero. RESULTADOS: El grupo LC1 presentó un periodo prepatente de 5 días, una parasitemia de 11 días con el máximo (36.3% de GRP) el día 12. Los ratones del grupo LC2 mostraron un periodo prepatente de 5 días, una parasitemia de 8 días con el pico (30% de GRI) el día 11. En los testigos el periodo prepatente fue de 3 días, la parasitemia de 15 y su máximo (51% de GRI) el día 9. Los ratones que recibieron células de bazo del grupo LC2, mostraron un período prepatente de 21 días, una parasitemia de 7 con su máximo (13.5% de GRI) el día 26. CONCLUSIÓN: L. casei aumenta la resistencia no específica hacia P. chabaudi a juzgar por los periodos prepatentes más largos, las bajas parasitemias, la reducción en la viabilidad y la elevación de la concentración de NO. en el suero, que presentaron los ratones estimulados con lactobacilos.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus to enhance resistance against Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi AS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: NIH mice were IP injected with viable lactobacillus casei seven days (LC1 group) or 7 and 14 days (LC2 group) before the challenge (day 0) with Plasmodium chabaudi parasitized red blood cells (pRBC). Control mice were inoculated with pRBC only. When parasitaemia was resolved, naive mice were injected with spleen cells from each group. The parasitaemia was measured. Nitric oxide (NO.) in serum was determined. RESULTS: Mice from the LC1 group presented a reduction in parasitaemia, with a prepatent period of five days, parasitaemia lasted 11 days, and the peak was (36.3 % pRBC) on the 12th day post-infection. Mice from the LC2 group showed a prepatent period of five days, parasitaemia lasted eight days, and the peak (30 % pRBC) was of on the 11th day. In the control, the prepatent period was three days, the parasitaemia lasted 15 days, and the peak (51% pRBC) was on day nine. Mice inoculated with spleen cells from the LC2 group showed a prepatent period of 21 days, parasitaemia lasted seven days, and the peak (13.5% pRBC) was on the 26th day. CONCLUSION: L. casei enhanced nonspecific resistance to P. chabaudi, as indicated by longer prepatent periods, reduced parasitaemia, and reduction in the viability of the parasites recovered from the spleen of infected mice, along with high concentrations of NO. in serum.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la capacidad de Lactobacillus casei de aumentar la resistencia a la infección con Plasmodium chabaudi en ratones. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Ratones NIH fueron inyectados intraperitonealmente con L. casei viable 7 días (grupo LC1) o 7 y 14 días (grupo LC2) antes del reto (día 0) con glóbulos rojos parasitados (GRP) con P. chabaudi. Los testigos fueron inoculados con GRP solamente. Cuando la parasitemia se resolvió, se inocularon ratones limpios con células de bazo de cada grupo. Se midió la concentración de óxido nítrico (NO.) en suero. RESULTADOS: El grupo LC1 presentó un periodo prepatente de 5 días, una parasitemia de 11 días con el máximo (36.3% de GRP) el día 12. Los ratones del grupo LC2 mostraron un periodo prepatente de 5 días, una parasitemia de 8 días con el pico (30% de GRI) el día 11. En los testigos el periodo prepatente fue de 3 días, la parasitemia de 15 y su máximo (51% de GRI) el día 9. Los ratones que recibieron células de bazo del grupo LC2, mostraron un período prepatente de 21 días, una parasitemia de 7 con su máximo (13.5% de GRI) el día 26. CONCLUSIÓN: L. casei aumenta la resistencia no específica hacia P. chabaudi a juzgar por los periodos prepatentes más largos, las bajas parasitemias, la reducción en la viabilidad y la elevación de la concentración de NO. en el suero, que presentaron los ratones estimulados con lactobacilos.

An epidemiological study was carried out in the northern Mexican state, Nayarit. Fourteen patients with possible cutaneous leishmaniasis skin lesions gave positive Montenegro skin tests. Biopsies were taken from the skin ulcer and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers for the Leishmania mexicana complex; however all biopsies were not amplified. PCR carried out with specific primers for the L. braziliensis complex resulted in the amplification of all patient DNA. DNA from 12 out of 14 biopsies gave positive amplification with primers species specific for L. (Viannia) braziliensis and hybridized with a species specific L. (V.) braziliensis probe. These results demonstrate the presence in Nayarit of at least two members of the L. braziliensis complex. Most of the cutaneous lesions were caused by L. (V.) braziliensis and two by another species belonging to the L. braziliensis complex. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of L. (V.) braziliensis in Nayarit. The main risk factor associated with the contraction of this disease in Nayarit is attributed to working on coffee plantations.

A 36 year old male was admitted in December 1997 to hospital with afternoon fever, malaise and hepatosplenomegaly. He also had a dry cough, dyspnoea and anaemia. Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were documented. The HIV infection was confirmed in 1997 with 290,000 virus copies. The patient had been in the Mexican State of Chiapas which is known to be endemic for visceral leishmaniosis (VL) and localized cutaneous leishmaniosis (LCL). The visceral symptoms were diagnosed as VL and the causal agent was identified as Leishmania (L.) mexicana. Identification of Leishmania was carried out by the analysis of amplified DNA with specific primers belonging to the Leishmania subgenus and by dot blot positive hybridisation of these polymerase chain reaction derived products with kDNA from the L. (L.) mexicana MC strain used as probe. This is the first case in Mexico of VL caused by a species of Leishmania that typically produces a cutaneous disease form.

Seroepidemiological studies of cutaneous leishmaniasis were carried out on 169 individuals in a rural area of the Campeche state of México. Fifty showed cutaneous lesions suggestive of leishmaniasis, 70% were parasite positive and 96% skin test positive. An overall 40% positivity to skin test with Montenegro's antigen was found. Most of the affected individuals were males from 11 to 30 years-old. Antibodies were determined by immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA) and by Western blot. Two antigen preparations were used, one from a Leishmania mexicana strain which produced localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) and the other from a diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL). In the general population from the area of study 19% gave positive IFA tests with DCL antigen and 20% with LCL antigen while for the patients 67% gave positive IFA tests with DCL and 71% with LCL. By Western blot analysis most of the patients recognized more antigens in the DCL than in the LCL strain. In the DCL strain 78% of patients recognized a 105 kDa, 34% a 139 kDa, 28% a 117 kDa and 26% a 205 kDa MW antigen. In the LCL strain 40% of patients recognized a 205 kDa and 22% a 175 kDa antigens