Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis: Development of a qPCR Assay for Genus Detection and Differentiation of…

StudyDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)· Jun 2026

Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis: Development of a qPCR Assay for Genus Detection and Differentiation of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and Leishmania (V.) braziliensis .

Guilherme Ferreira Correia, Bruna Terci Fernandes, Paulo Henrique Guilherme Borges … Sueli Fumie Yamada-Ogatta

Molecular PathologyStudyDiagnosisQ2IF 4.4

New Leishmania qPCR assay showed 100% specificity with no cross-amplification.

Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis: Development of a qPCR Assay for Genus Detection and Differentiation of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and Leishmania (V.) braziliensis .

Guilherme Ferreira Correia … Sueli Fumie Yamada-Ogatta

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · Jun 2026 · Q2 in General Medicine

Background

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania , with a broad clinical spectrum that can overlap with other infectious and non-infectious conditions.

Purpose

This study aimed to develop and validate a real-time PCR assay based on melting-curve analysis (Leish-qPCR) for the detection of Leishmania spp. and the differentiation of Leishmania ( Leishmania ) amazonensis and Leishmania ( Viannia ) braziliensis .

Methods

Genus-specific primers were designed based on the kDNA (kinetoplast DNA) minicircle consensus sequences of Leishmania species, while species-specific primers targeted the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) consensus regions of the ribosomal RNA locus of L.

Results

100%

no false positives, other microbes never triggered the test

More results

The limit of detection was one copy per reaction for all targets using positive controls.

The Leish-qPCR assay presented high sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy, representing a promising tool for routine diagnosis of leishmaniasis and for the differentiation of L.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

The Leish-qPCR assay presented high sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy, representing a promising tool for routine diagnosis of leishmaniasis and for the differentiation of L. (L.) amazonensis and L.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

(V.) braziliensis in clinical samples.

Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis: Development of a qPCR Assay for Genus Detection and Differentiation of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and Leishmania (V.) braziliensis .

Molecular Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis: Development of a qPCR Assay for Genus Detection and Differentiation of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and Leishmania (V.) braziliensis .

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