Leishmania spp. in Iraq. Electrophoretic isoenzyme patterns. II. Cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Leishmania organisms isolated from the sores of patients in Iraq suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis were compared between themselves and with Leishmania major, L. tropica and L. donovani, all of which had been identified on clinical and geographical grounds. The comparisons were made by examination of the electrophoretic mobilities of seven soluble enzymes: malic enzyme E.C.1.1.1.40; glucose phosphate isomerase E.C.5.3.1.9; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase E.C.1.1.1.49; phosphoglucomutase E.C.2.7.5.1; malate dehydrogenase E.C.1.1.1.37; aspartate aminotransferase E.C.2.6.1.1 and alanine aminotransferase E.C.2.6.1.2. following thin-layer starch-gel electrophoresis. The Iraqi isolations of Leishmania spp. from cutaneous lesions fell clearly into two groups, one of which gave isoenzyme patterns identical to those of a marker stock of L. major isolated in the USSR, and the other which gave patterns identical to those given by L. tropica also from the USSR. Previously it had been thought that L. tropica alone was responsible for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iraq. The L. tropica and L. major isoenzyme patterns clearly differentiated these organisms from L. donovani.