Analysis of HLA Alleles in Different Cohorts of Patients Infected by L. infantum from Southern Spain.

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which is endemic in certain areas of Europe, such as southern Spain. The disease manifests in various clinical phenotypes, including visceral, cutaneous, mucosal, or asymptomatic leishmaniasis. This diversity in clinical outcomes may be influenced by the host immune response, with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules playing a crucial role in determining susceptibility and progression of the infection. This study explores the association between specific HLA variants and Leishmania infantum infection. We recruited four cohorts: a control group, asymptomatic individuals, patients with symptomatic disease, and cohabitants of infected individuals. HLA typing was performed for all participants, followed by an association analysis with infection status and disease progression. Our findings indicate that the HLA-B*38 and HLA-C*03 alleles are associated with protection against L. infantum infection. These results contribute to a better understanding of the disease's progression, offer potential for new therapeutic approaches such as vaccines, and expand the existing knowledge in the literature.

Comparison of an Enzyme Linked-Immunosorbent Assay and a Chemiluminescent Immunoassay with an Immunofluorescence Assay for Detection of Phase II IgM and IgG Antibodies to Coxiella burnetii.

In this study, we have compared the detection of IgM and IgG against C. burnetii phase II of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Euroimmun) and a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) (VIRCLIA, Vircell). In addition, an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was used as a reference test. One hundred forty-eight sera were used for IgG evaluation, and eighty-eight for IgM. The sensitivity of ELISA and CLIA in detecting phase II IgM was excellent. On the other hand, the CLIA IgM showed better specificity than the ELISA IgM. As for phase II IgG, the specificity of ELISA and CLIA was similar, while the ELISA technique showed a higher sensitivity. In conclusion, the best system to detect phase II IgM antibodies against C. burnetii is the CLIA from Vircell, which is characterized by high sensitivity and specificity. For the detection of phase II IgG, the Euroimmun ELISA and Vircell CLIA assays are suitable for the determination of this marker in the laboratory, although the IgG ELISA has greater sensitivity.

Comparative evaluation of chemiluminescent immunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the diagnosis of West Nile virus infections.

In August 2020, anew West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak affected 71 people with meningoencephalitis in Andalusia (Spain). Samples from these individuals were received in our laboratory, a regional Virus Referral Centre. The aim of this study was to compare the agreement, sensitivity and specificity of findings between the WNV VIRCLIA IgG and IgM assay (Vircell, Spain) and the WNV ELISA IgM and IgG assay (Euroimmun, Germany) and to compare the performance of WNV VIRCLIA IgM and Euroimmun ELISA for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnosis. The study included 24 CSF samples (paired with serum samples) and 247 serum samples from 217 patients with suspected WNV infection (1 or 2 per patient). The agreement between ELISA and CLIA tests for IgM and Ig G detection in serum was 93% (kappa index = 0.85) and 96% (kappa index = 0.89) respectively. Sensitivity values of ELISA and CLIA tests for IgM in serum samples were 96.7% and 98.9%, respectively, and specificity values were 96.4% and 95.4% respectively. Sensitivity values of ELISA and CLIA test for IgG in serum samples were 91.1% and 97%, respectively, and specificity values were 100% and 98.8% respectively. Results obtained with ELISA and CLIA tests in CSF samples showed 75% agreement between them (kappa index = 0.51). According to these findings, the WNV VIRCLIA IgM and IgG monotest offers an accurate qualitative detection of WNV in serum and CSF specimens.