BACKGROUND The leishmaniases are a complex of neglected tropical diseases caused by more than 20 Leishmania parasite species, for which available therapeutic arsenal is scarce and unsatisfactory. Pentavalent antimonials (SbV) are currently the first-line pharmacologic therapy for leishmaniasis worldwide, but resistance to these compounds is increasingly reported. Alkyl-lysophospoholipid analogs...

AT-rich DNA, and the proteins that bind it (AT-hook proteins), modulate chromosome structure and function in most eukaryotes. Unlike other trypanosomatids, the genome of Leishmania species is unusually GC-rich, and the regulation of Leishmania chromosome structure, replication, partitioning is not fully understood. Because AT-hook proteins modulate these functions in other eukaryotes, we examin...

In the Brazilian Amazon, American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is endemic and presents a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations due, in part, to the circulation of at least seven Leishmania species. Few reports of Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi infection suggest that its occurrence is uncommon and the reported cases present a benign clinical course and a good response to treatment. This study...

The definition of a reservoir has changed significantly in the last century, making it necessary to study zoonosis from a broader perspective. One important example is that of Leishmania, zoonotic multi-host parasites maintained by several mammal species in nature. The magnitude of the health problem represented by leishmaniasis combined with the complexity of its epidemiology make it necessary...

Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis, presents an exaggerated Th1 response that is associated with ulcer development. Macrophages are the primary cells infected by Leishmania parasites and both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) are important in the control of Leishmania by these cells. The mechanism involved in the killing of L. braziliensis is ...

leishmania infantum is the most frequent cause of visceral leishmaniasis and l. tropica has been rarely linked to the disease in iran. in this study, bone marrow aspirates were collected from 10 child patients, suspected with visceral leishmaniasis referred to the pediatric wards of kerman medical hospitals, kerman, iran during 2002–2011. leishmania species were identified by using nested pcr i...

background zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is polymorphic disease that may show various clinical manifestations. objectives this study investigates the determination of genetic variation within the species of leishmania major isolates from new cases in chabahar, a port city in southeast iran (situated at the iran-pakistan border). migration in this region indicates that leishmaniasis is ...

background: leishmaniasis, especially cutaneous leishmaniasis, is considered an important health problem in many parts of iran including kharve, khorasan razavi province. cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by various species of leishmania, each having a different secondary host. thus, identifying the parasites’ specie is of paramount importance for containment strategy planning. the morphologica...

BACKGROUND Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. Recently its incidence is considerable in different parts of Jahrom district, in Fars Province, southern Iran. The aims of our study were to investigate the prevalence of leishmania infection, and identify and characterize the Leishmania species present, among the rodents by molecular methods in a new endemic fo...