Ysabel Montoya

Effect of dengue-1 antibodies on American dengue-2 viral infection and dengue haemorrhagic fever

In Iquitos, Peru, no cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever have been recorded in individuals infected with dengue-1 virus followed by American genotype dengue-2 (American dengue-2) virus. We assayed serum samples collected in Iquitos that tested positive for antibodies of monotype dengue-1 and monotype dengue-2 using a plaque reduction neutralisation test to determine their ability to neutralise the infectivity of two dengue-1 viruses, two American dengue-2 viruses, and two Asian dengue-2 viruses. Sera positive for the dengue-1 antibody neutralised dengue-1 viruses and American dengue-2 viruses much more effectively than Asian dengue-2 viruses. Neutralisation of American dengue-2 virus by sera positive for dengue-1 antibodies may account for the absence of dengue haemorrhagic fever in individuals infected with dengue-1 in 1990-91 followed by American dengue-2 virus in 1995 in Iquitos, Peru.

Comparative allele distribution at 16 STR loci between the Andean and coastal population from Peru

In the present study, we analysed the allelic distribution of 16 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) performed on unrelated individuals from seven different Peruvian cities, three highland Andean cities and four coastal ones. The loci investigated were F13A01, FESFPS, vWA, CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, D5S818, D19S253, F13B, D21S11, LPL and D8S1179 y D3S1358. The allele frequency, statistical parameters, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and population pair comparison across all loci were determinate. The combined matching probability for the 16 loci was 5.41136 x 10(-15) and the combined probability of exclusion (PE) was 0.999998307. The results showed new local databases for the evaluation of Andean and coastal Peruvian populations in human identity testing.

Genes coding structural proteins in the Leishmania braziliensis complex

Acidic ribosomal P1 and P2b proteins, referred to as P proteins, and histone H3 are reported for first time in the Leishmania braziliensis complex. Deoxyribonucleic acid analysis and multiple sequence alignment suggest that both P proteins may maintain their structural function in the ribosomal stalk, in spite of the high rate of mutations detected. The deduced amino acid sequence of protein P1 showed 51% identity with Trypanosoma cruzi protein P1 and protein P2b showed 61% identity with T. cruzi protein P2b. Another conserved protein, L. (Viannia) braziliensis histone H3, showed 82% and 70% identity with histone H3 of L. (Leishmania) infantum and T. cruzi, respectively. The N-terminal end of this histone is divergent in comparison with the consensus eukaryotic sequence. Their predicted tridimensional structure was designed.

Isolation and characterization of Leishmania infantum cDNA encoding a protein homologous to eukaryotic elongation factor 1γ

This paper reports the isolation and characterization of a complementary deoxyribonucleic acid clone showing sequence homology with genes coding for the eukaryotic elongation factor 1γ (EF-1γ). The clone encodes an open reading frame of 404 amino acids corresponding to a deduced molecular mass of 46·2 kDa. Database searches revealed 30–64% sequence identity between the Leishmania infantum EF-1γ and several eukaryotic homologues. Southern blot analysis indicated that 2 genes tandemly organized were present in the L. infantum genome. The 3′ untranslated regions of these 2 genes differed in size. Southern hybridization and pulsed field gel electrophoresis showed that EF-1γ genes are highly conserved among members of the Leishmania genus and must be clustered in a single chromosomal locus.

Genetic polymorphism of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Loreto, Peru

Eight genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum were detected after analysing blood samples obtained from 30 Peruvian jungle-dwelling patients in Loreto, a high transmission area for P. falciparum, using amplification of the polymorphic marker gene GLURP (glutamate-rich protein). Genotypes I (GLURP450) and VIII (GLURP800) were the most common (15/30 and 13/30, respectively). This single copy gene showed 15 patients to be infected with a single genotype of P. falciparum; the other 15 were infected with mixed genotypes, one of them with 4 genotypes. These findings are compatible with a high genetic complexity of P. falciparum. Further investigations are needed, using this and other markers, in order to design malaria control measures in Peru.

Acidic ribosomal proteins and histone H3 from Leishmania present a high rate of divergence

Another additional peculiarity in Leishmania will be discussed about of the amino acid divergence rate of three structural proteins: acidic ribosomal P1 and P2b proteins, and histone H3 by using multiple sequence alignment and dendrograms. These structural proteins present a high rate of divergence regarding to their homologous protein in Trypanosoma cruzi. At this regard, L. (V.) peruviana P1 and T. cruzi P1 showed 57.4% of divergence rate. Likewise, L. (V.) braziliensis histone H3 and acidic ribosomal P2 protein exhibited 31.8% and 41.7% respectively of rate of divergence in comparison with their homologous in T. cruzi.

BIOTINYLATED kDNA FROM Leishmania braziliensis

The lesions caused by the Leishmania braziliensis complex begin as a cutaneous lesion. In some cases, as those produced by L. braziliensis braziliensis. the lesion very often progresses towards destruction of mucouse tissues. In the Amazonian jungle, an area endemic for mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis it is common that people, specially new settlers, develop ulcerative lesions that are often diagnosed incorrectly as Leishmaniasis. Differential diagnosis between Leishmania and other etiological agents causing skin diseases is thus required. A potential diagnostic method would be the direct demonstration of parasites in lesions by DNA hybridization with DNA probes from Leishmania.