Serosurvey of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Organ Transplant Recipients in the South of Iran.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) can become active and cause specific problems in transplant recipients. The current study was conducted with the aim of serological evaluation of VL in transplant patients in a comprehensive transplantation center in Fars province southern Iran.

Methods: The study population included 150 organ transplant recipients. Blood sample was taken from each patient and the sera were evaluated for anti-Leishmania antibodies by an ELISA method. While sampling from patients, the required information was recorded in a questionnaire and finally analyzed by SPSS software.

Results: Out of the 150 recruited patients, 96 (64%) were men and 54 (36%) were women. The youngest participant was 18 years old and the oldest was 85, with an average age of 46.24 (±15.13). Among the participants, 79 (52.66%) had undergone kidney transplantation, 69 (46%) liver transplantation, 1 (0.66%) intestinal transplantation, and 1 (0.66%) had undergone SPK (kidney and pancreas) transplantation. The participants were from various provinces of Iran, with the majority (61.33%) residing in Fars province. Anti-Leishmania antibodies were detected in the sera of 4 individuals (2.7%) among the study population. The overall seroprevalence of VL did not have a statistically significant association with variables such as gender, age, type of transplant, transplant rejection, or place of residence (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate a noticeable seroprevalence of VL in transplant patients in southern Iran. Given the potential risk of reactivation of VL in transplant patients, the need for greater attention to its prevention, timely diagnosis, and treatment becomes more obvious.