Comparison on the performance of Leishmania major-like and Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis as antigen for New World leishmaniasis IgG-immunofluorescence test

The performance of an antigen of L. major-like promastigotes for the serological diagnosis of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in the IgG-immunofluorescent test was compared to that of an antigen of L.braziliensis braziliensis. Each antigen was used to test two hundred and twenty-four sera of etiologies such as mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, deep mycoses, toxoplasmosis, malaria. Chagas' disease, visceral leishmaniasis, anti-nuclear factor, schistosomiasis, rheumatoid factor and normal controls. Agreement between responses to each antigen was high: 77.2% of leishmaniases sera agreed on a positive or a negative result to both antigens and 91.1% of control sera. Cross reactivity was restricted to Chagas' disease sera, visceral leishmaniasis, anti-nuclear factor and paracoccidioidomycosis. The quantitative response of leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease sera to both antigens was evaluated by a linear regression; although the y-intercept and the slope were different for each antigen, neither was better than the other in the disclosure of anti-Leishmania antibodies. In the case of Chagas' disease sera the L.major-like antigen was better than L.b.braziliensis' to disclose cross-reacting antibodies.