Analysis of the antigenic properties of the L. infantum Hsp70: design of synthetic peptides for specific serodiagnosis of human leishmaniasis.

The sequence is from the reference: Quijada et al. (1996) Immunol. Letts. 52: 73-79. Sera from 5 of 5 patients with visceral leishmaniasis reacted with the epitope. The epitope is contained within one (residues 496-653) of two main antigenic regions identified by screening 5 VL patient sera against a panel of overlapping 20-mer peptides spanning the sequence of L. infantum Hsp70. Among serum samples with reactivity against recombinant L. infantum Hsp70, 57% reacted with the epitope. Reactivity against the epitope was greater than that to the 20-mer peptides contained within the epitope sequence.