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MULTIPLE HYBRID GENOTYPES OF LEISHMANIA (VIANNIA) IN A FOCUS OF MUCOCUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS

The principal agent of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL) is the South American protozoan parasite Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. This organism is generally considered to be clonal, that is, it does not to undergo genetic exchange. Nevertheless, apparent hybrids between several Leishmania species have been reported in the New World and the Old World. When we characterized isolates of Leishmania (Viannia) from a single focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and MCL, we found a remarkable phenotypic and genotypic diversity, with 12 zymodemes and 20 microsatellite genotypes. Furthermore, 26 of the 59 isolates were L. braziliensis/L. peruviana phenotypic hybrids that displayed 7 different microsatellite genotypes. A hybrid genotype was the only organism isolated from 4 patients with MCL. Thus hybrids must be included among the potential agents of MCL. Despite the propensity for clonality, hybrids are also an important feature of Leishmania (Viannia) and may give rise to epidemiologically important emergent genotypes.

Received May 10, 2006. Accepted for publication October 31, 2006.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Rachel Gregory (LSHTM) for technical assistance, David Conway (LSHTM), Helen Roberts (University College, London), and Isabel Mauricio (LSHTM) for helpful discussions. Dr. R. Naiff (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) and Prof. J. Shaw (Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, Pará, Brazil) generously provided some of the reference strains used in this study.

Financial Support: This work was supported by European Commission International Scientific Co-operation (grant no. C11-CT93-0036-NR), the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, and the Wellcome Trust.

^* Address correspondence to Debbie Nolder, Department of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom. E-mail: debbie.nolder{at}lshtm.ac.uk

Authors’ addresses: Debbie Nolder, Clive R. Davies, and Michael A. Miles: Department of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom, Telephone: +44 (0)20 7927 2427, Fax: +44 (0)20 7637 0268, E-mails: debbie.nolder{at}lshtm.ac.uk, clive.davies{at}lshtm.ac.uk, and michael.miles{at}lshtm.ac.uk. Norma Roncal: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, AP5045, Lima 100, Peru, E-mail: nroncal{at}upch.edu.pe. Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas: Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Carlos Vidal Layseca, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, AP5045, Lima 100, Peru, Telephone: +511 482 7739/381 4100, Fax: +511 382 0338, E-mail: allanos{at}upch.edu.pe.

Reprint requests: Debbie Nolder, Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.