Differential serological testing by simultaneous indirect immunofluorescent antibody test in canine leishmaniosis and ehrlichiosis

A mixed indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), based on cultured promastigotes Leishmania infantum and formol-inactivated suspension of cells infected with the bacteria Ehrlichia canis, was applied to make a differential diagnosis between canine ehrlichiosis and leishmaniosis. A titre greater than 80 was considered positive for antibodies to E. canis and suggestive of antibodies to L. infantum. Positive sera were titrated subsequently by serial dilutions to confirm antibodies positive to Leishmania and establishing the antibody titre of both pathogens. Fluorescence was absent with negative control sera and background staining was minimal. No serological cross-reactions between positive sera for L. infantum or E. canis were detected. Results obtained by mixed IFAT did not differ when the same serum IFAT standard was compared. The test showed equivalent sensitivity (100%). The specifities were 100% for L. infantum and 98.5% for E. canis. The equivalence in sensitivity was confirmed by calculating the correlation coefficient between IFAT standards and mixed IFAT (r>or=0.99 for both pathogens). The results of our investigations demonstrated that mixed IFAT is a specific means of establishing serological differential diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis and ehrlichiosis.

[Nevirapine induces abstinence symptoms in patients on a methadone maintenance program with HIV infection]

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential inductive effect of nevirapine (NVP) with methadone. Eight patients on the methadone maintenance programme with anti-retroviral therapy because of their infection with HIV, well maintained with methadone and without symptoms of abstinence were studied. All were included in a study of measurement of plasma levels of methadone. Anti-retroviral medication was changed, including NVP, and patients began with symptoms of abstinence 5 to 10 days later. Our results indicate an inductive effect of NVP on the methadone metabolism which caused symptoms of abstinence in all patients, which prompted an increase in the dose and plasma concentration of methadone was lost; patients continued with significantly low plasma levels (p < 0.01) after a therapy mean duration of 6.5 months, with no full recovery.