A rapid and accurate method to detect and quantify Leishmania parasite is urgently needed to facilitate early diagnosis of leishmaniasis and monitoring of antileishmania therapy. In this study, real-time assay was applied to estimate parasite load in clinical samples of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients. The mean parasite load in blood of VL pat...

Background: The Mediterranean form of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), or kala-azar, is a potentially fatal vector-borne zoonotic disease. At the present time, VL caused by Leishmania infantum is recognized as an important parasitic disease in Iran. Objective: The aim of the study was to review the epidemiological aspects of VL in Iran during 1996-2010. Methods: Twenty seven eligible journal articl...

BACKGROUND Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL; also known as kala-azar) is an ultimately fatal disease endemic in the Indian state of Bihar, while HIV/AIDS is an emerging disease in this region. A 2011 observational cohort study conducted in Bihar involving 55 VL/HIV co-infected patients treated with 20-25 mg/kg intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) estimated an 85.5% probability of survival ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal zoonotic disease in tropical and sub-tropical countries including Iran. Dogs constitute the main domestic reservoir for VL (kala-azar) in Iran but incidence of the disease in cats from Fars and East Azerbaijan provinces has led to propose them as secondary reservoirs, and possible expansion of the feline role in the transmission of ...

BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), with the squeal of Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), is a global threat for health. Studies have shown sodium stibogluconate (SSG) resistance in VL patients with chronic arsenic exposure. Here, we assessed the association between arsenic exposure and risk of developing PKDL in treated VL patients. METHODS In this retrospective study, PKDL pati...

A Leishmania donovani species-specific monoclonal antibody (monoclonal antibody D2) was evaluated for its diagnostic and prognostic potential by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA) in sera from Indian patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and seven patients with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). These results were compared with those obtained by microscopy wi...

BACKGROUND High frequency of relapse in miltefosine-treated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients in India and Nepal followed up for twelve months. OBJECTIVE To identify epidemiological and clinical risk factors for relapse of VL in patients recently treated with standard dosing of miltefosine in India and Nepal. DESIGN Prospective observational study in three Primary Health Centers and one ...

We conducted a longitudinal study in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in eastern Sudan to compare the epidemiology and clinical spectrum of Leishmania donovani infection in two populations differing in ethnic background and duration of residence in the area. The study took place in two villages from April 1994 to April 1996. In Um-Salala village, which is inhabited by members of ...

Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages (MΦs) are well-known antigen presenting cells with an ability to produce IL-12 which indicates that they have potential of directing acquired immunity toward a Th1-biased response. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Leishmania specific KMP-11 antigen through comparison of immune responses after presentation by DCs and MΦs to T cells in India...

Sustained elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) requires the reduction and control of parasite reservoirs to minimize the transmission of Leishmania donovani infection. A simple, reproducible and definitive diagnostic procedure is therefore indispensable for the early and accurate detection of parasites in VL, Relapsed VL (RVL) and Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients, all o...