Soluble adhesion molecules versus lymphoblast transformation in diagnosis of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Twelve parasitologically proven ZCL patients (one with non-ulcerative lesion and eleven with multiple ulcerative lesions) were subjected to estimation of the levels of lymphoblast transformation (LTT) and soluble adhesion molecules (sICAM-1 & sELAM-1 by ELISA). The results proved high percentage of LTT in relation to number and clinical picture of the ZCL lesions. As to the soluble adhesion molecules, sICAM-1 levels were significantly increased than in normal controls and correlated positively with the number of ulcerative lesions. sELAM-1 levels were not significantly increased than the normal controls, but correlated positively with the number of ulcerative lesions. Consequently, soluble adhesion molecules mainly sICAM-1 is a good marker of endothelial damage in ZCL as related to number and clinical type of lesions.