Diagnosis of Visceral leishmaniasis by conventional PCR to DNA extracted from Giemsa’s solution-stained slides

Abstract EN

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), or kala-azar, is an infection of the reticuloendothelial system, usually with L.

donovani and L.

infantum, both old world species of the parasite; or L.

chagasi, a New World species.

Fatalities due to leishmaniasis are associated with visceral disease.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the detection of Leishmania DNA in archived Giemsa-stained bone marrow slides for diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and to compare PCR with conventional diagnostic techniques, such as direct microscopy.

Furthermore PCR diagnosis DNA extracted from Giemsas solution-stained bone marrow slides is a suitable tool to confirm diagnosis in patients with VL and is useful in the diagnosis of difficult cases in addition to the easily of bone marrow smears to stored and sent to research center where PCR diagnosis can be already achieved.

Twenty archived Giemsa-stained bone marrow slides were used in the present study,10 were negative and 10 positive by direct microscopy test while 8 were negative and 12 were positive by PCR test.

PCR showed the highest sensitivity and specificity (100 %), while the direct examination gave (85.7 % sensitivity) and (100 % specificity), in addition PCR was able to detect VL in 10 % of blood samples which were negative by microscopy.