Clinical Isolation and Molecular Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis using RFLIP for ITS1 Gene in some Baghdad Hospitals

This study was aimed to find out the most effective clinical samples and diagnosis methods in chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CCL). Smear, aspiration fluid, and filter paper, samples were taken from 88 skin lesions of suspected cases with CCL in some Baghdad hospitals, and they were compared using microscopic examination, culture, and molecular methods.Samples from the clinical patients were examid which showed throug PCR 93%(82/88) ,Microscopic examination 70%(62/88), culture 25%(22/88).During the study ,products in RFLIP for ITS1, by restriction the amplified ITS1 gene product of Leishmania by the endonuclease Hae III, gave two fragments 60 and 200 bp were identified(57 patient) as L.tropica and two fragments of 140 and 220 bp (25 patient) as L. major ,and the filter paper most effective clinical samples from lesion.In conclusion the PCR –based assays tested on our increased the speed and sensitivity of the diagnosis DNA –PCR very important to the species identification ( L. tropica and L. major).