Background & Objectives: Leishmania major and L. tropica are the main pathogens of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in several rural and some urban regions of Iran, respectively. The aim of this study was to detect Leishmania species, and update the distribution data of these species in humans suspected to CL in two endemic foci in southern Iran.
Methods: From March 2016 to March 2017, 276 positive samples from of 350 suspected cases were diagnosed and compared by different diagnostic methods, viz. microscopy, culture, and PCR. In PCR assay, four different gene identifications were performed including minicircle kDNA, and cysteine protease B genes for Leishmania detection, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and internal transcribed spacer 1 genes for Crithidia detection.
Results: In total, 68% (235/350) and 65.3% (177/271) of patients suspected of leishmaniasis were positive by microscopy and cultivation methods. In PCR assay, L. major, and L. tropica were detected in 86.2% (238/276), and 13.1% (36/276) of CL cases, respectively. Also, dermal L. infantum strain was isolated from 0.7% (2/276) of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis patients. In addition, Crithidia fasciculata was detected in two CL patients chronically infected with L. major.
Interpretation & Conclusion: It appears that the epidemiology of CL has changed during the last decades and can complicate the control strategy aspects of CL in southern Iran. Therefore, more epidemiological, ecological, and gene polymorphism studies are needed to understand the pathogenic role of these species in human, as a main host of leishmaniasis in Iran.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0972-9062.309518 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Validation of an improved reference freeze-dried direct agglutination test for detecting leishmaniasis in the canine reservoir.
Access Microbiol
January 2025
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Liwa College, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Proper identification and management of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) cases are among the prerequisites to the effective control of visceral leishmaniasis worldwide. Unlike PKDL, CanL still awaits effective improvement because of its cryptic nature, absence of parasites in lesions or lymph nodes and not complete sensitivity of some diagnostic tools in use. Because of the need for certain skills and equipment, both the liquid direct agglutination test and freeze-dried direct agglutination test (FD-DAT) versions are, in comparison with the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), practical and feasible diagnostic alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCombination Therapy for Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis: A Literature Review of Current Evidence.
Indian J Dermatol
October 2024
From the Department of Pharmacology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India.
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a neglected skin disease that has tremendous epidemiological significance as a reservoir of Leishmania parasites. Relapse, drug resistance, non-compliance to prolonged treatment, poor health-seeking behaviour, along with limited therapeutic options pose a significant impact on the management of PKDL. In this study, we aimed to review the efficacy, safety and tolerability data of combination therapies for PKDL in the published literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRole of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL).
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
November 2024
Dept. of Pharmacology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGME&R), Kolkata, India.
Article Synopsis
- Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) emerges as a complication of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), posing challenges for disease management and ongoing elimination efforts due to its potential for ongoing transmission.
- In this study, researchers assessed neutrophils in PKDL patients' skin biopsies, finding increased numbers of activated neutrophils and elevated levels of inflammatory markers compared to healthy controls.
- The findings suggest that activated neutrophils may significantly influence the inflammatory environment in PKDL, highlighting the need for further understanding of their role in the disease's progression and treatment.
Comment on: Skin pharmacokinetics of miltefosine in the treatment of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in South Asia.
J Antimicrob Chemother
January 2025
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis: a new challenge to VL elimination in South-East Asia.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
November 2024
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by in South-East Asian endemic countries including India, Nepal and Bangladesh has been the primary focus of the ongoing VL elimination program. With a major reduction in VL cases resulting from the elimination program during the last two decades, the efforts are now focused on the challenges posed by potential reservoirs within the asymptomatic cases, HIV-co-infection VL cases and Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases that continue to sustain the parasite transmission cycle in known and newer endemic zones. This article brings attention to a new potential parasite reservoir in the form of atypical cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) cases caused by novel genetic variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!