Background Focused efforts of the visceral leishmaniasis elimination program have led to a drastic decline in cases, and the present challenge is disease monitoring, which this study aimed to assess. Methods A Leishmania kinetoplastid-targeted qPCR quantified parasite load at disease presentation, and following treatment completion (n=49); an additional 80 cases were monitored after completion of treatment. Results The parasite load at disease presentation was 13 461.00 (2560.00–37764.00)/µg gDNA, which upon completion of treatment reduced in 47 of 49 cases to 1(1–1)/µg gDNA, p<0.0001. In 80 cases that presented >2 months post-treatment, their parasite burden similarly decreased to 1(1–1)/µg gDNA except in 6 of 80 cases, which were qPCR positive. Conclusion In 129 cases of visceral leishmaniasis, qPCR by quantification of parasite burden proved effective for monitoring treatment.

中文翻译：

---

人内脏利什曼病治疗效果的分子监测

背景 内脏利什曼病消除计划的集中努力导致病例急剧下降，目前的挑战是疾病监测，本研究旨在评估这一点。方法利什曼原虫动质体靶向 qPCR 定量疾病出现时和治疗完成后的寄生虫负荷 (n=49)；另有80例病例在治疗完成后接受监测。结果 发病时寄生虫载量为 13 461.00 (2560.00–37764.00)/μg gDNA，治疗完成后，49 例中有 47 例降至 1(1–1)/μg gDNA，p<0.0001。在治疗后 2 个月以上的 80 例病例中，除了 80 例中的​​ 6 例 qPCR 呈阳性外，其寄生虫负荷同样降至 1(1-1)/μg gDNA。结论 在 129 例内脏利什曼病病例中，通过定量寄生虫负荷进行的 qPCR 被证明可有效监测治疗情况。