| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KATAKURA Ken Gunma Univ. Sch. Med, Parasitology, Assoc. Prof., 医学部, 助教授 (10130155)
MIMORI Tatuyuki Kumamoto Univ. Sch. Med, Tumor Gen. & Biol, Assoc. Prof., 医学部, 助教授 (00117384)
NONAKA Shigeo Univ. of Ryukyus, Dermatology, Prof., 医学部, 教授 (10039571)
MARUNO Motoyoshi Univ. of Ryukyus, Dermatology, Research Assoc., 医学部, 助手 (00264507)
UEZATO Hiroshi Univ. of Ryukyus, Dermatology, Assoc. Prof., 医学部, 講師 (60160157)
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| Research Abstract |
In order to have an information on the New World leishmaniasis, especially in Ecuador, an intensive study has been done from the multidisciplinary view points, including trials of the chemotherapy with different types of drugs. For this purpose, during the present research project terms, almost all of the suspected leishmaniasis-endemic areas were thoroughly surveyed by multidiscip linary experts, such as epidemiologists, parasitologists, dermatologists, immunologists, molecular biologists and vector entomologists. Many clinico-epidemiological features are disclosed, in addtion to causative agents and vectors : Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, L.(L.) mexicana, L.(L.) major-like, L.(Viannia) braziliensis, L.(V.) guyanensis, L.(V.) panamensis, L.(V.) equatorensis as the leishmanial parasites and Lutzomyia ayacuchensis, Lu. gomezi, Lu. trapidoi, Lu. hartmani as sundflies. In this research term from 1998 to 2000, epidemiological and clinical data were collected country-wide, and diagnosis and treatment of patients with cutaneous leishmanial lesions were also performed. Leishmania parasites isolated from patients, vectors and reservoir animals, were characterized by using PCR techniques. Based on the results obtained, a trial has been done to depict the geographical distribution of each species of the genus Leishmania in Ecuador. Furthermore, in order to get more sensitive and specific method applicable for diagnosis under field conditions, PCR using different primers was compared with traditionally-used techniques, such as smears, cultures, histopathological specimens and others. Clinico-epidemiological surveys were carried out in several leishmaniasis-endemic areas located at different altitudes of Ecuador, employing differential diagnosis between cutaneous leishmaniasis and other skin diseases found in the rural areas.
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