Real-Time PCR as a New Tool for QuantifyingLeishmania infantum in Liver in Infected Mice

ABSTRACT The parasitic loads of mouse livers experimentally infected withLeishmania infantum were determined using a double real-time quantitative PCR test targeted to the parasite DNA polymerase gene and to the mouse brain-derived neutrophic factor gene. TheLeishmania DNA copy number was normalized to the number of mouse gene copies in order to quantify the former independently of liver weight. The correlation coefficient with the microtitration method was 0.66. This PCR assay can be considered for experimental pharmaceutical studies.