Leishmaniasis (Visceral) Antibody, Serum

CPT CODE:

USEFUL FOR:

Diagnosis of active visceral leishmaniasis

SPECIMEN REQUIRED:

Draw blood in a plain, red-top tube(s) or a serum gel tube(s). Spin down and send 0.2 mL of serum frozen in a screw-capped, round-bottom, plastic vial. Forward promptly.

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Frozen\Refrig <3 days OK\Ambient NO

CLINICAL INFORMATION:

Visceral leishmaniasis (kala azar) is a disseminated intracellularprotozoal infection that targets primarily the reticuloendothelialsystem (liver, spleen, bone marrow) and is caused by Leishmaniadonovani, Leishmania chagasi, or Leishmania infantum (Leishmania donovani complex).
Transmission is by the bite of sandflies. Clinical symptoms includefever, weight loss, and splenomegaly; pancytopenia and hypergammaglobulinemia are often present. Most (90%) new cases each year arise in rural areas of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sudan, and Brazil but the disease has a worldwide distribution, including the Middle East.
Definitive diagnosis has required the microscopic documentation of characteristic intracellular amastigotes in stained smears from culture of aspirates of tissue (spleen, lymph node) or bone marrow. The detection of serum antibodies to the recombinant K39 antigen of Leishmania donovani is an alternative non invasive sensitive (95-100%) method for the diagnosis of active, visceral leishmaniasis.

CLINICAL INTERPRETATION:

A positive result is consistent with a diagnosis of active visceral leishmaniasis.

REFERENCE VALUES:

Negative