American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis: identification of species using PCR-RFLP and sequencing targeting ITS1

• Grant number: 20/14820-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Lúcia Maria Almeida Braz
• Grantee: Helen Lucila de Sá Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ATL) is an infectious, chronic, non-contagious disease with a cutaneous manifestation, caused by the protozoan of the genus Leishmania, being a zoonosis common to man and animals and a serious public health problem in several countries. The development of efficient protocols for the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis is essential for the treatment of the disease; In this scenario, PCR (polymerase chair reaction) stands out because it is a simple technique, with greater specificity and sensitivity than conventional diagnostic methods, and can be performed from any biological sample. Objective: To compare the molecular techniques by PCR-RFLP targeting the ITS-1 and Hsp70 genes, in the diagnosis by species of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ATL). Methodology: Samples from biopsies of patients suspected of having ATL, from the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas and FIOCRUZ from Pernambuco, will have the extracted DNA submitted to the conventional PCR technique (targeting the ITS-1), followed by RFLP and sequencing of the obtained amplifiers. In this way, the diagnosis of ATL and the ability to define species that cause ATL will be evaluated by the referred techniques.