Resumen

NODA RAMOS, Angel Alberto et al. Evaluation of PCR for molecular confirmation of leptospirosis in fresh tissue samples from deceased people. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2014, vol.66, n.3, pp.447-452. ISSN 0375-0760.

Introduction: human leptospirosis is an acute infectious disease which can lead to death if the patient is not early diagnosed and treated. In Cuba the research studies on the molecular detection of Leptospira in samples from fatal cases are uncommon. Objective: to evaluate a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methodology for detection of pathogenic Leptospira DNA in fresh tissue samples from deceased persons with suspected leptospirosis. Methods: this study evaluated and applied a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in the period 2012-2013. The PCR was evaluated using leptospire cultures and in human tissues artificially infected with pathogenic leptospires. Besides, PCR was applied to fresh organ samples from dead people with suspected leptospirosis. The final results were compared with those of other reported PCR that had been used for fresh post-mortem samples. Results: the evaluated PCR was more sensitive than PCR used as reference. It allows confirming pathogenic leptospiral infection in 34.2 % (42/123) of clinical samples from fresh organs whereas the reference one reached 17.9 % (22/123). The aforementioned showed the usefulness of this new tool. Conclusions: the evaluated polymerase chain reaction represents a useful and sensitive tool in leptospirosis confirmation in dead people.

Palabras clave : Leptospira; polymerase chain reaction; molecular detection; dead people.

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