Topic
Visceral leishmaniasis
About: Visceral leishmaniasis is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7486 publications have been published within this topic receiving 184865 citations. The topic is also known as: Kala-Azar & viscus leishmaniasis.
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TL;DR: The need to explore cyclodextrin-based compounds, which modulate host membrane cholesterol levels, as a possible therapeutic strategy against leishmaniasis in addition to other intracellular parasites is described.
80 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that pre-treatment HIV viral load influences response to anti-leishmanial chemotherapy and active VL is associated with increased viral replication in vivo, supporting the notion that dual infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of either infection.
Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether clearance of Leishmania parasites from tissue aspirate smears in patients with HIV and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) co-infection treated with pentavalent antimonials is influenced by initial HIV viral load and to assess the effect of active VL on HIV viral load and replication in vivo. Methods: Leishmania parasites were identified in Giemsa-stained smears prepared from tissue aspirates. Parasite index was determined by quantifying Leishmania donovani bodies in smears. HIV-1 RNA was quantitated by using the nucleic acid sequence-based amplification technique with a limit of detection of 500 copies/ml. All patients were treated with pentavalent antimonials at 20 mg pentavalent antimony (Sb v )/kg daily for a total of 28 days. None of the patients received specific anti-retroviral therapy. Results: Seventeen patients (73.9%) showed good initial response to anti-leishmanial treatment and the remaining six (26.1%) had very poor response. Among the good responders, 11 (64.7%) had no demonstrable Leishmania donovani bodies in post-therapy tissue aspirate smear preparations, and in the remaining six (35.3%) their parasite loads were reduced to very low levels. Patients with poor response had persistently high parasite index despite completion of anti-leishmanial chemotherapy. Poor responders had pre-treatment median HIV viral load that was > 160-fold higher than responders to anti-leishmanial chemotherapy; [410 000 copies/ml (quartile range, 33 000-530 000) and 2500 copies/ml (quartile range 500-297 500), respectively]. Furthermore, compared with pre-treatment viral concentrations, patients with good response showed marked reduction in post-treatment viral load. In contrast, post-treatment HIV viral concentrations were markedly increased among patients with poor response to anti-leishmanial therapy. Conclusions: The results suggest that pre-treatment HIV viral load influences response to anti-leishmanial chemotherapy and active VL is associated with increased viral replication in vivo, supporting the notion that dual infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of either infection.
80 citations
TL;DR: Fifty unselected subjects living in Alpes-Maritimes, France, a high risk area for visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum, were examined simultaneously by the leish manin skin test and the Western blot technique in 1993; 32% and 38%, respectively, gave a positive reaction.
Abstract: Fifty unselected subjects living in Alpes-Maritimes, France, a high risk area for visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum, were examined simultaneously by the leishmanin skin test and the Western blot technique in 1993; 32% and 38%, respectively, gave a positive reaction. The concordance of the 2 methods was 82%. Thus, in this high risk area, a large proportion of inhabitants had been exposed to the parasite. The use of these 2 tests should permit the detection of potential cases of reactivated leishmaniasis in prospective follow-up investigations.
80 citations
TL;DR: The possibility of oral transmission of L. chagasi by fleas cannot be proven unambiguously even though the hamsters developed infection, since both PCR and IFAT could present cross-reactivity for Leishmania and Leptomonas.
80 citations
TL;DR: In endemic areas, visceral leishmaniasis may complicate the clinical course of organ transplantation and can have fatal consequences, particularly when untreated.
Abstract: Background. In endemic areas, visceral leishmaniasis has been identified as an opportunistic infection in patients with derangements in their cellular immune system. Methods. We report a renal transplant patient with visceral leishmaniasis. We also reviewed the previously published cases of 17 organ transplant recipients with this parasitic disease. Results. Visceral leishmaniasis occurred a median time of 8 months after transplantation, and the clinical picture was characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and blood cytopenias. Leishmaniae were detected in bone marrow in 16 of 18 patients and diagnostic serology results were found in 8 of 10 tested patients. Pentavalent antimonials were used to treat 16 patients, five of which developed pancreatitis. Five of 18 patients died, including two untreated patients. Relapses of visceral leishmaniasis occurred in 4 of 13 survivors. Conclusions. In endemic areas, visceral leishmaniasis may complicate the clinical course of organ transplantation and can have fatal consequences, particularly when untreated.
80 citations