Intraspecific Variation in Leishmania major Isolated from Different Forms of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Background: zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is apolymorphic disease which may show various clinical manifestations.although genetic variability of the parasite is suggestedto be one of the factors influencing clinical manifestationsin leishmaniasis, no data exist regarding genetic polymorphismof leishmania major. therefore, determination ofgenetic variation within the species of l. major isolated fromdifferent cases of zcl in isfahan, iran and its relation to clinicalmanifestation of the disease is investigated.methods: the internal transcribed spacers (its) in -the ribosomaloperon of 9 isolates of l. major from three clinicallydifferent forms of zcl were amplified by polymerase chainreaction (pcr), followed by the digestion of the pcr productwith two restriction enzymes. the profiles were visualized inagarose gel under uv light.results: the pcr product obtained for all isolates was about1060 bp in size. restriction analysis of its with both enzymesshowed identical fragment patterns in samples isolated fromclinically similar forms of zcl, but highly diverse fragmentpatterns in those isolated from clinically different forms.conclusion: l. major causing zcl in isfahan is genetically ahighly polymorphic species and a correlation may exist betweengenetic heterogeneity of the parasite and the clinicalmanifestation of the disease in human.