[The diagnostic value of lectins for the epidemiology of Chagas' disease and the differentiation of Leishmania from the Old and New World].

An interspecific differentiation between T. cruzi, T. rangeli and T. conorhini can be done with the lectin II from the marine sponge Aaptos papillata. Independently from the origin the T. cruzi strains can intraspecifically subdivided into two strain-groups from WGA-type and PNA-type. The Leishmania strains from the Old World can inter- and intraspecifically distinguished by lectins while the strains from the New World form only two groups. A comparison of the agglutination-behaviour of the Leishmania parasites shows that strains of L. m. mexicana, L. b. braziliensis, L. aethiopica and L. m. amazonensis belong to the same type. The second agglutination-type includes strains of L. t. major (Near East), L. m. amazonensis and L. m. pifanoi.