Viscerotropic Leishmania tropical: transformation to amastigotes in cell-free media.

Promastigotes of a viscerotropic Leishmania tropica strain, originally isolated from a U.S. veteran returning from the Gulf War, was studied for extracellular transformation to amastigotes. Promastigotes were grown in three different media namely, Schneider's Drosophila, Dulbecco's modified Eagle Medium (D-MEM) and RPMI-1640. For each medium the effect of low pH (5.8), elevated temperature (34 degrees C) and the effect of both conditions combined were compared. Cells were counted and examined for morphological changes daily. Transformation to morphologically typical amastigotes occurred in D-MEM and Schneider's media at each of the three different experimental conditions with maximum transformation occurring on day eight in D-MEM maintained at pH 5.8 and 34 degrees C. Complete transformation was not achieved in RPMI-1640 under any of the experimental conditions described. Transformed amastigotes could successfully infect murine macrophages indicating biological competence. Amastigotes could not be propagated under any of the conditions described herein.

An assessment of hepatic functional capacities and haemoglobin values in amaebiasis.

Fourty adult males with amaebiasis and a match control group of the same age and sex were subjected to complete blood examination. The results showed that the mean values for total serum protein, total serum bilirubin, A.L.P. and Hb % were within the acceptable limits i.e. statistically insignificant, whilst A.S.T. and A.L.T. were not within the acceptable limits, i.e. statistically significant. The percentages of normals as regards the frequency distribution test were as follows: Total serum protein (80%), total serum bilirubin (82.5%), A.L.P. (94.59%), A.S.T. (67.5%), A.L.T. (75%) and Hb. (86.21%). The regression analysis test, confirmed by the correlation test, were performed to indicate the relationship between the intensity of infection (indicated by the population of E. histolytica in stool analysis) and the serum levels of the tests to follow. Accordingly the serum levels of A.L.P., A.S.T. and A.L.T. showed a relatively slight increase, while the total serum protein level and Hb% showed a slight decrease. The serum bilirubin indicated no change whatsoever.