[Preliminary results in favor of the existence of a major surface antigen, specific for Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis]

Abstract

The comparative surface antigen study of 10 bolivian strains and 1 brazilian reference strain from L. b. braziliensis sub-species shows an important homogeneity within this group. All the strains tested so far present similar antigenic patterns with a major antigen at 72 kD. On the contrary, the comparative analysis of surface antigens of L. b. braziliensis with those of L. b. guyanensis, L. b. panamensis, L. mexicana amazonensis and L. donovani chagasi shows a large antigenic heterogeneity between the Leishmania sub-species and species we studied. The 72 kD antigen was only detected on L. b. braziliensis surface.