Browsing by Autor "Cristina Ballart"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Clinical and immunological characteristics of tegumentary leishmaniasis cases in Bolivia
(Public Library of Science, 2021) Cristina Ballart; Mary Cruz Torrico; Gisela Vidal; Faustino Torrico; Daniel Lozano; Montserrat Gállego; Lilian Pinto; Ernesto Rojas; Ruth Aguilar; Carlota Dobaño
In Bolivia, parasitological diagnosis remains the reference standard in diagnosis of leishmaniasis because of its high specificity, whereas the sensitivity varies over a wide range leading to loss of cases. Until more accurate tools are implemented, all patients should be tested by both smears and culture of lesion aspirates to minimize the risk of false negatives. Our results showed higher concentrations of several cytokines in MCL compared to CL, but no differences were observed between CL and no-cases. In addition, none of the cytokines differed between primary and secondary infections. These results highlight the need of further research to identify biomarkers of susceptibility and disease progression, in addition to looking at the local cellular immune responses in the lesions.
Evaluation of the Diagnostic Sensitivity of the VIASURE Leishmania Real-Time PCR Detection Kit Prototype for the Diagnosis of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis
(Wiley, 2023) Albert Arnau; Alba Abràs; Cristina Ballart; Anna Fernández‐Arévalo; Mary Cruz Torrico; Sílvia Tebar; Teresa Llovet; Montserrat Gállego; Carmen Muñoz
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease with clinical presentations that vary from asymptomatic infection to cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral disease. Global change, with migratory movements and travels, among others, has had an impact on the presentation of the clinical forms of leishmaniasis in a given area, hindering its diagnosis. The traditional parasitological techniques have limited sensitivity, and currently, there is no reference or gold-standard molecular diagnostic method. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectivity of the VIASURE Leishmania Real-Time PCR Detection Kit prototype (CerTest Biotec, Zaragoza, Spain) for the diagnosis of autochthonous and imported leishmaniasis in comparison with two other commercialized molecular kits: STAT-NAT® Leishmania spp. (Sentinel, Milano, Italy) and Leishmania spp. Real-TM PCR Kit (Sacace Biotechnologies, Como, Italy). Four species of Leishmania, L. infantum, L. major, L. braziliensis, and L. panamensis, were targeted to assess analytical sensitivity, whereas diagnostic sensitivity was evaluated by studying a panel of 49 DNA samples from patients with suspected or confirmed Leishmania infection. The prototype could detect all the New and Old World species studied and achieved a limit of detection of 5 × 10-5 ng DNA/μL in all species. Also, it allowed the diagnosis of autochthonous and imported cases of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Diagnostic sensitivity was 81.8% for the prototype and 100% for the Sacace kit (27 and 33 positive samples detected, respectively). The STAT-NAT® kit failed to detect Vianna species. The VIASURE Leishmania Real-Time PCR Detection Kit prototype was found to have good analytical and diagnostic sensitivity. Using a simple protocol and ready-to-use reagents, results are obtained quickly and are easy to interpret. The evaluation results indicate that the test is a promising candidate for routine diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis and VL in endemic countries, but more studies are necessary to address its sensitivity and specificity.
Intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary captures of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the leishmaniasis endemic area of Chapare province, tropic of Cochabamba, Bolivia
(Elsevier BV, 2015) Cristina Ballart; Gisela Vidal; Albert Picado; Mirko Rojas Cortez; Faustino Torrico; Mary Cruz Torrico; Rodrigo Espíndola Godoy; Daniel Lozano; Montserrat Gállego
Tegumentary leishmaniasis by Leishmania braziliensis complex in Cochabamba, Bolivia including the presence of L. braziliensis outlier
(Wiley, 2021) Mary Cruz Torrico; Anna Fernández‐Arévalo; Cristina Ballart; Marco Solano; Ernesto Rojas; Eva Ariza; Sílvia Tebar; Daniel Lozano; Alba Abràs; Joaquím Gascón
Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoans of the Leishmania genus, which includes more than 20 species capable of infecting humans worldwide. In the Americas, the most widespread specie is L. braziliensis, present in 18 countries including Bolivia. The taxonomic position of the L. braziliensis complex has been a subject of controversy, complicated further by the recent identification of a particular subpopulation named L. braziliensis atypical or outlier. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic analysis of the L. braziliensis complex in Bolivia and to describe the associated clinical characteristics. Forty-one strains were analyzed by sequencing an amplified 1245 bp fragment of the hsp70 gene, which allowed its identification as: 24 (59%) L. braziliensis, 16 (39%) L. braziliensis outlier, and one (2%) L. peruviana. In a dendrogram constructed, L. braziliensis and L. peruviana are grouped in the same cluster, whilst L. braziliensis outlier appears in a separate branch. Sequence alignment allowed the identification of five non-polymorphic nucleotide positions (288, 297, 642, 993, and 1213) that discriminate L. braziliensis and L. peruviana from L. braziliensis outlier. Moreover, nucleotide positions 51 and 561 enable L. peruviana to be discriminated from the other two taxa. A greater diversity was observed in L. braziliensis outlier than in L. braziliensis-L. peruviana. The 41 strains came from 32 patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis, among which 22 patients (69%) presented cutaneous lesions (11 caused by L. braziliensis and 11 by L. braziliensis outlier) and 10 patients (31%) mucocutaneous lesions (eight caused by L. braziliensis, one by L. braziliensis outlier, and one by L. peruviana). Nine patients (28%) simultaneously provided two isolates, each from a separate lesion, and in each case the same genotype was identified in both. Treatment failure was observed in six patients infected with L. braziliensis and one patient with L. peruviana.
Tegumentary leishmaniasis by Leishmania braziliensis complex in Bolivia: the presence of L. braziliensis outlier
(2021) Mary Cruz Torrico; Anna Fernández‐Arévalo; Cristina Ballart; Marco Solano; Ernesto Rojas; Eva Ariza; Sílvia Tebar; Daniel Lozano; Alba Abràs; Joaquím Gascón
Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoans of the Leishmania genus, which includes more than 20 species capable of infecting humans worldwide. In the Americas, the most widespread specie is L. braziliensis , present in 18 countries, including Bolivia. The taxonomic position of the L. braziliensis complex has been a subject of controversy, complicated further by the recent identification of a particular subpopulation named L. braziliensis atypical or outlier. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic analysis of the L. braziliensis complex in Bolivia and to describe the associated clinical characteristics. Forty-one strains were analyzed by sequencing an amplified 1245 bp fragment of the hsp70 gene, which allowed its identification as: 24 (59%) L. braziliensis , 16 (39%) L. braziliensis outlier and one (2%) L. peruviana . In a dendrogram constructed, L. braziliensis and L. peruviana are grouped in the same cluster, whilst L. braziliensis outlier appears in a separate branch. Sequence alignment allowed the identification of five non-polymorphic nucleotide positions (288, 297, 642, 993 and 1213) that discriminate L. braziliensis and L. peruviana from L. braziliensis outlier. Moreover, nucleotide positions 51 and 561 enable L. peruviana to be discriminated from the other two taxa. A greater diversity, was observed in L . braziliensis outlier than in L. braziliensis - L. peruviana . The 41 strains came from 32 patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis, among which 22 patients (69%) presented cutaneous lesions (11 caused by L. braziliensis and 11 by L. braziliensis outlier) and ten patients (31%) mucocutaneous lesions (eight caused by L. braziliensis , one by L. braziliensis outlier and one by L. peruviana ). Nine patients (28%) simultaneously provided two isolates, each from a separate lesion, and in each case the same genotype was identified in both. Treatment failure was observed in six patients infected with L. braziliensis and one patient with L. peruviana .
The need for culture in tegumentary leishmaniasis diagnosis in Bolivia: A comparative evaluation of four parasitological techniques using two sampling methods
(Elsevier BV, 2023) Mary Cruz Torrico; Cristina Ballart; Anna Fernández‐Arévalo; Marco Solano; Ernesto Rojas; Alba Abràs; Fabiola Gonzales; Yercin Mamani Ortiz; Albert Arnau; Daniel Lozano
Usefulness of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry in the Characterization of Leishmania Strains Causing Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in Bolivia versus hsp70 Gene Sequencing
(American Society for Microbiology, 2023) Mary Cruz Torrico; Anna Fernández‐Arévalo; Cristina Ballart; Marco Solano; Ernesto Rojas; Alba Abràs; Fabiola Gonzales; Albert Arnau; Sílvia Tebar; Teresa Llovet
The objective of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS for the characterization of Leishmania species circulating in Bolivia, in comparison with the sequencing of the hsp70 gene. In our study, all of the isolates could be identified, and no misidentifications were observed at the complex level.