Clinical and Immunological Analysis

Amastigotes from L(L)amazonensis(La); L(L)venezuelensis(Lv); L(V)brasiliensis(Lb) and L(L)chagasi(Lch) were cultured in a liquid culture medium without mammalian cells present (O’Daly’s medium). 132 patients from a hyperendemic region (prevalence 24.8 o/oo) had ulcers, scars and nodules, more frequent in legs and arms after cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) infection. Time for remission of lesions were: Spontaneous remission (SR): 7 weeks; Glucantime®: 9 weeks; vaccination with La, Lv, Lb, Lch amastigotes TLCK treated and NP-40 extracted (VT): 7 weeks; with autoclaved L(L)mexicana promastigotes +BCG : 18 weeks. Delayed type hypersensitivity response (DTH) response with polyvalent and monovalent leishmanine was higher in CL patients than healthy controls (p<0.05) and increased in active secondary vs. primary infection (p<0.0001) with diagnostic value 1.74 for active infection and 1.81 post-clinical remission of lesions.