Despite the broad distribution of leishmaniasis among Iranians and animals across the country, little is known about the genetic characteristics of the causative agents. Applying both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Leishmania spp. isolated from Iranian endemic foci and available reference strains. A total of 36 Leishmania isolates from almost all districts across the country were genetically analyzed for the HSP70 gene using both PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis. The original HSP70 gene sequences were aligned along with homologous Leishmania sequences retrieved from NCBI, and subjected to the phylogenetic analysis. Basic parameters of genetic diversity were also estimated. The HSP70 PCR-RFLP presented 3 different electrophoretic patterns, with no further intraspecific variation, corresponding to 3 Leishmania species available in the country, L. tropica, L. major, and L. infantum. Phylogenetic analyses presented 5 major clades, corresponding to 5 species complexes. Iranian lineages, including L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum, were distributed among 3 complexes L. major, L. tropica, and L. donovani. However, within the L. major and L. donovani species complexes, the HSP70 phylogeny was not able to distinguish clearly between the L. major and L. turanica isolates, and between the L. infantum, L. donovani, and L. chagasi isolates, respectively. Our results indicated that both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses are medically applicable tools for identification of Leishmania species in Iranian patients. However, the reduced genetic diversity of the target gene makes it inevitable that its phylogeny only resolves the major groups, namely, the species complexes.
Animals ; Genetic Variation* ; Humans ; Iran ; Leishmania infantum ; Leishmania major ; Leishmania tropica ; Leishmania* ; Leishmaniasis ; Parasites* ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis*

Three dogs were evaluated for severe hyperproteinemia and hyperglobulinemia secondary to Leishmania infantum. Double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) was performed in two dogs at days 1, 2, and 6 after presentation. The third dog received DFPP at days 1 and 3 after presentation and eleven hemodialysis treatments. Significant reduction in serum total protein (p < 0.0001), alpha-1 (p = 0.023), alpha-2 (p = 0.018), gamma globulins (p = 0.0105), and a significant increase in albumin/globulin ratio (p = 0.0018) were found. DFPP may be a promising therapeutic technique for rapid resolution of signs of hyperproteinemia in dogs affected by L. infantum.
Animals ; Dogs ; Filtration ; gamma-Globulins ; Leishmania infantum ; Leishmania ; Plasmapheresis ; Renal Dialysis

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar mainly affects children in endemic areas. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL using direct agglutination test (DAT) in children living in rural districts of Alborz Province located 30 km from Tehran capital city of Iran. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was applied. Blood samples were randomly collected from 1,007 children under 10 years of age in the clusters. A total of 37 (3.7%) of the studied population showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of > or =1:800. There was a significant association between positive sera and various parts of the rural areas of Alborz Province (P<0.002). Two children with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies titers of > or =1:3,200 indicated kala-azar clinical features and treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs in pediatric hospital. The findings of this study indicated that Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Alborz Province. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness and alertness among physicians and public health managers, particularly in high-risk rural areas of the province in Iran.
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Iran/epidemiology ; Leishmania infantum/immunology/isolation & purification/physiology ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/blood/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Male ; *Rural Health ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

A 12-year-old spayed female mixed-bred dog presented with nasal bleeding of 2 days duration and a skin nodule in the left flank. No abnormalities were found in coagulation profiles and blood pressure. Cytological evaluation of the nodule revealed numerous characteristic round organisms having a nucleus and a bar within macrophages and in the background, consistent with leishmaniasis. In vitro culture was unsuccessful but PCR of the nodular aspirate identified the organisms as Leishmania infantum, and the final diagnosis was canine leishmaniasis. No history of travel to endemic countries was noted. Because the dog had received a blood transfusion 2 years before the illness, serological screening tests were performed in all donor dogs of the commercial blood bank using the commercial Leishmania ELISA test kit, and there were no positive results. Additional 113 dogs with hyperglobulinemia from Seoul were also screened with the same kits but no positive results were obtained. To the best of the author's knowledge this is the first autochthonous case of canine leishmaniasis in Korea.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Dog Diseases/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary ; Female ; Giant Cells/pathology ; Leishmania infantum/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/diagnosis/*veterinary ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary ; Serologic Tests/veterinary

Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is an endemic parasitic disease in some parts of the world which is characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and pancytopenia in most of the cases. Herein we report an 11 month-old male infant with diagnosis of kala-azar who presented with pallor, hepatosplenomegaly, failure to gain weight, and no history of fever. Surprisingly, fever started after beginning of meglumine antimoniate treatment in this patient. As far as we are aware of, this is a rare presentation of visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore, clinicians especially in endemic areas are highly recommended to include kala-azar among differential diagnosis of unexplained anemia without fever to prevent misdiagnosis of this potentially fatal, but treatable condition.
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use ; Anemia/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Antiprotozoal Agents/*therapeutic use ; Deoxycholic Acid/therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Combinations ; Endemic Diseases ; *Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Iran ; Leishmania infantum/pathogenicity ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral/*diagnosis/*drug therapy/parasitology ; Male ; Meglumine/therapeutic use ; Organometallic Compounds/therapeutic use ; Splenomegaly/parasitology