Characterization of Leishmania spp. from Kuwait by isoenzyme electrophoresis

Leishmania stocks isolated from skin lesions of 26 patients in Kuwait were compared among themselves and with Leishmania stocks collected from other parts of the Old and New Worlds on the basis of their isoenzyme patterns for seven enzymes by means of thin layer starch gel electrophoresis. The enzymes examined were: alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) E.C.2.6.1.2; aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) E.C.2.6.1.1; glucose-phosphate isomerase (GPI) E.C.5.3.1.9; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) E.C.1.1.1.49; malate dehydrogenase (MDH) E.C.1.1.1.37; malic enzyme (ME) E.C.1.1.1.40 and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) E.C.2.7.5.1.The isoenzyme patterns obtained fell clearly into 11 groups for the stocks of Leishmania tested. The Kuwaiti stocks separated into six groups. The patterns obtained with 15 Kuwaiti stocks were identical with those obtained with Leishmania tropica major (identified on clinical and geographical characteristics); seven stocks were identical with L. tropica minor similarly identified; three stocks had isoenzyme patterns different from each other and from all other leishmanias examined in this study; and one stock gave isoenzyme patterns identical with those of an L. donovani isolated in the Sudan.The isoenzyme patterns were the same in three stocks classified as L. tropica minor, L. aethiopica and a Leishmania isolated in Baghdad which caused a visceral disease in rats.