Types Of Leishmaniasis Research Articles

Abundance of Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) vectors in Baldim, a municipality in the Espinhaço Range Biosphere Reserve in Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is a zoonoses caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the Leishmania genus that is transmitted to humans through the bite of previously infected phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera:Psychodidae:Phlebotominae). In Brazil, 2 types of leishmaniasis are endemic, tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In Baldim, a municipality in the Espinhaço Range Biospere Reserve (ERBR), 5 autochthonous cases of TL, and one autochthonous case of VL were reported from 2017 to 2022. Owing to the lack of data on entomological fauna, we surveyed the occurrence and distribution of phlebotomine sandflies that could act as Leishmania vectors, as well as natural Leishmania infection. During 1 year, 918 sandfly specimens belonging to 12 species were collected. The predominant species was Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (32.0%), a proven VL agent, followed by Evandromyia evandroi (Costa Lima & Antunes, 1936) (20.7%), Evandromyia cortelezzii (Brèthes, 1923) (17.0%), Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho, 1939) (12.2%), and Nyssomyia intermedia (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) (10.5%), all putative or proven TL agents. Seasonal fluctuations and endo-exophilic behavior were delineated for the main phlebotomine sandflies. The population of Lu. longipalpis was higher during the coolest and driest months, although different profiles were noted for the other species. Natural Leishmania infection was not detected in any of the 197 phlebotomine sandfly females analyzed. The results were compared with those previously obtained in other municipalities belonging to the ERBR. The presence of Leishmania vectors and human cases of leishmaniasis indicate a risk of Leishmania transmission in the region.

Polyamine Metabolism for Drug Intervention in Trypanosomatids.

Neglected tropical diseases transmitted by trypanosomatids include three major human scourges that globally affect the world's poorest people: African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease and different types of leishmaniasis. Different metabolic pathways have been targeted to find antitrypanosomatid drugs, including polyamine metabolism. Since their discovery, the naturally occurring polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, have been considered important metabolites involved in cell growth. With a complex metabolism involving biosynthesis, catabolism and interconversion, the synthesis of putrescine and spermidine was targeted by thousands of compounds in an effort to produce cell growth blockade in tumor and infectious processes with limited success. However, the discovery of eflornithine (DFMO) as a curative drug against sleeping sickness encouraged researchers to develop new molecules against these diseases. Polyamine synthesis inhibitors have also provided insight into the peculiarities of this pathway between the host and the parasite, and also among different trypanosomatid species, thus allowing the search for new specific chemical entities aimed to treat these diseases and leading to the investigation of target-based scaffolds. The main molecular targets include the enzymes involved in polyamine biosynthesis (ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase), enzymes participating in their uptake from the environment, and the enzymes involved in the redox balance of the parasite. In this review, we summarize the research behind polyamine-based treatments, the current trends, and the main challenges in this field.

Review on the Drug Intolerance and Vaccine Development for the Leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a zoonotic disease of vector-borne nature that is caused by a protozoan parasite Leishmania. This parasite is transmitted by the vector sandfly into the human via a bite. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also called kala-azar, is the most fatal among the types of leishmaniasis, with high mortality mostly spread in the East Africa and South Asia regions. WHO report stated that approximately 3.3 million disabilities occur every year due to the disease along with approximately 50,000 annual deaths. The real matter of concern is that there is no particular effective medicine/vaccine available against leishmaniasis to date except a few approved drugs and chemotherapy for the infected patient. The current selection of small compounds was constrained, and their growing drug resistance had been a major worry. Additionally, the serious side effects on humans of the available therapy or drugs have made it essential to discover efficient and low-cost methods to speed up the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis. Ideally, the vaccine could be a low risk and effective alternative for both CL and VL and elicit long-lasting immunity against the disease. There are a number of vaccine candidates at various stages of clinical development and preclinical stage. However, none has successfully passed all clinical trials. But, the successful development and approval of commercially available vaccines for dogs against canine leishmaniasis (CanL) provides evidence that it can be possible for humans in distant future. In the present article, the approaches used for the development of vaccines for leishmaniasis are discussed and the progress being made is briefly reviewed.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A clinicoepidemiological Study in Al Muthanna Governorate/Iraq

Background: Leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Iraq. There are three types of leishmaniasis; cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral form. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common type that causes skin sores. In Iraq, CL has 2 presentations, zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis which is caused by L. major, and anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. Tropica. Leishmaniasis, is transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies. Objective: We aimed to verify the clinical and epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Al Muthanna governorate. Materials and methods: A prospective cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the outpatient dermatological clinic in Al Hussein Teaching Hospital during the period from the 1st of December 2021 to the 1st of April 2022 in Al Muthanna governorate, Iraq. Patients with CL of any age and both sexes were enrolled in the current investigation. Detailed information regarding the age, gender, residence, duration, site, number, and type (wet or dry) of the lesion was recorded for every participant. Results: Two hundred fifty patients were diagnosed clinically as having CL. Males represented 132 (52.8%) patients. The majority of the cases were found in the age group 0-10 (n = 174, 69.6%) patients. Eighty percent (n = 200) of the participants were from rural areas. Most of the cases were presented in less than two months (n = 164, 65.6 %). Most of the lesions affected the face (n = 89, 35.6%), and the least was seen in the upper and lower limbs (n = 9, 3.6 %). The majority of the cases had a single lesion (n = 164, 65.6%) and of the dry type (n = 178, 71.2%). Conclusion: CL is an endemic dermatological disease in the Al Muthanna governorate. Males were outnumbering females. The highest age group affected was 0-10 years. The majority of patients were from rural areas. The majority of the cases presented within two months, involved the face, had a single lesion, and were of a dry type.

Identification of Leishmania species and frequency distribution of LRV1 and LRV2 viruses on cutaneous leishmaniasis patients in Isfahan Province, Iran

PurposeLeishmaniasis is one of the most serious health problems in developing countries. Iran is one of the endemic regions of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) is a dsRNA virus member of the Totiviridae family, which was first detected in the promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis guyanensis. Our study aimed to investigate possible changes in the predominant and causative strains of CL and screening the LRV1 and LRV2 species genome from Leishmania species isolated from the lesions of patients. Materials and methodsDirect smear samples obtained from 62 patients with leishmaniasis referring to the Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center in Isfahan province during 2021–2022 were examined. Total DNA extraction procedures and conservation of site-specific multiplex PCR and nested PCR were performed for detecting Leishmania species. The molecular identification of LRV1 and LRV2 viruses, samples were used for total RNA extraction and real-time (RT)-PCR analysis, followed by conducting a restriction enzyme assay to confirm the PCR products. ResultsOf the total Leishmania isolates, 54 and 8 isolates were identified as L. major and L. tropica, respectively. LRV2 was identified in 18 samples affected by L. major, while LRV1 was only detected in one of the samples with L. tropica. No LRV2 was found in any samples with L. tropica. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between LRV1 and the type of leishmaniasis (Sig. ​= ​0.009, P ​≤ ​0.05), while this relationship was not observed between LRV2 and the type of leishmaniasis. ConclusionsThe presence of a significant number of LRV2 in isolated samples, as well as the recognition of LRV1 in one of the Old World leishmaniasis species, which is a new result, could pave the way for investigating further aspects of this disease and successful treatment strategies in future studies.

Factors associated with the expansion of leishmaniasis in urban areas: a systematic and bibliometric review (1959-2021).

This work describes a systematic and bibliometric review of the factors that contribute to the expansion of leishmaniasis in urban areas. Three scientific databases were used: Scientific Electronic Library (SciELO), Scopus and Web of Science, encompassing all original and review articles between 1959 and 2021. Three descriptors were used: “leishmaniasis” AND “urban” AND “rural.” Planning, execution, summarization, and selection processes were performed using StArt (State of the Art through Systematic Review) software. We obtained a total of 304 articles, 60 of which concerned canine leishmaniasis. The factors associated with the expansion of leishmaniasis in urban areas are interrelated, including socioenvironmental and economic complexity, the type of leishmaniasis, the reservoirs, vectors, deforestation, disorderly occupation of space, poor sanitary conditions, and human migration trends. A lack of diagnosis and underreporting of cases in some regions may reflect the increase of cases seen in urban areas. A majority (n = 121) of studies were conducted in Brazil, followed by Iran (n = 43). In relation to publications; in general, output has increased over the years, particularly in 2021. The majority of published studies were in the area of epidemiology (n = 158).

Review on Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis disease is caused by parasites and its spread by the bite of different types of sand flies. The genus Leishmania is named after the death Sir William Leishman, who discovered the flagellate protozoa which is the causative agent of Kala-azar, the Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL). On clinical symptoms they have three species: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. This infection diagnosis is based on the severity of the condition. In comparison to two other types of leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis is not more dangerous. The treatment's effectiveness varies depending on the type of resistance pattern and the infecting species. The lack of a vaccination for human leishmaniasis may be due to a lack of funding in this neglected parasitic disease.

Immunology study and the Assessment of parameters in difference Age, Sex of stage resistance infection leishmaniasis in Dayla

The Leishmania parasite belonged to trypanosomatidae family,. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are endemic in Iraq as one of the neglected tropical diseases. The current drugswhich are used as antileishaminial treatment characterized by enormous side effects including their toxicity tohuman, long term treatment, liver problems, hugely cost. Therefore, there is a necessity to find an alternativetreatment marked as low cost, more specific against parasite’s stages, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), acytokine that generated by the innate immune response to CL infection, can influence disease clearance in thehuman host. The effect of this pro-inflammatory cytokine in CL ulcer development during the infection is not wellestablished. The current study was conducted on 88 individaul of both sexes, they were from Diyala province andthe capital Baghdad, during the period from October 2020 to February 2021.All suspected cutaneous or visceral patients involved in this study were prediagnosed in the laboratory beforeprocessing Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Adenosine Deaminase Enzyme (ADA) by ELISAcolorimetric detection.Total number of confirmed leishmaniasis patients were (n=57) cutaneous patients and (n=16) visceral patients,collected from different hospitals in Diyala province and Baghdad. Positive CL or VL samples were confirmed bymicroscopic Giemsa staining, In this study, the level of circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha and adenosinedeaminase enzyme levels were detected in CL patients of newly diagnosed infection and in patients undergoingdifferent doses of treatment, 2nd and 3rd Pentostam trail-treatment, in addition, VL patients of newly diagnosedinfection with no treatment; in comparison to control subjects.Regardless the type of leishmaniasis and according to age, the results showed that TNF-α concentration was higherin patients less than 15 years old, in comparison with other age group over 15 years (15-60) years old, which was1169.899 ng/ml and 961.206 ng/ml respectively. While according to sex, the higher concentration of TNF-α wasrecorded in female rather than male, 1030.243 ng/ml and 996.458 ng/mlRegarding ADA enzyme, the highest enzyme activity also recorded in the age group of 1-14 years old, which was4.749 nanomol/minute/µg, in comparison of patients between 15-60 years old, which was 3.706nanomol/minute/µg. While according to sex, the maximum enzyme activity was seen in male rather than female(4.296, 4.483) nanomol/minute/µg, respectively. The perceived rise of TNF-α and ADA serum levels may giveinsights into this pro-inflammatory cytokine as a biomarker in prognosis and tracking disease progression.

Kožna lajšmanijaza

Introduction. The most common form of leishmaniasis is cutaneous leishmaniasis. It presents with cutaneous lesions of the unprotected parts of the skin which leave scars later on. The causative agents are protozoae from the Leishmania species , and there are more than 20 of them. Clinical presentation and therapy depend on the type of leishmaniasis. The vectors of leishmaniosis are flies from the Phlebotomus species, and the source of infection is people and animals. Case report. A patient used to work in Iraq. Due to skin lesions that persisted for three months and suspicion of cutaneous leishmaniosis, he was sent by an infectious disease specialist from General hospital, Pancevo to the Public Health Institute of Serbia - PHIS. Lesions were localized on the hands, in the form of plaques with central ulcerations. There were similar cases among his colleagues. Microscopic examination of the skin samples, Giemza stained, showed intracellular amastigote Leishmania. The patient spent two months in the Clinic for infectious and tropical diseases. He was treated with fluconazole and liposomal amphotericin B and discharged with crusts on his hands. Clinical presentation, epidemiologic data, and microbiological diagnosis are very important for the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC PROFILE OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN THE PROVINCE OF ESSAOUIRA-MOROCCO

Leishmaniasis is a group of parasitic, tropical diseases caused by flagellate protozoa belonging to the genus Leishmania. These parasites affect several mammalian species, including man, to which they are transmitted by the bite of an insect vector, the sandfly. They are widespread in many countries, including the countries of the Mediterranean region. In Morocco, it is a persistent public health problem despite the development and implementation of a control program. Our work is a retroprospective study of leishmaniasis cases observed in the Essaouira province over a period of 5 years (from 01/10/2016 to 31/12/2020). The objective of this study is to develop the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic profile of this disease with an analytical comparison with other works and researches. 598 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were collected and no cases of visceral leishmaniasis. The age group most affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis is the one between 0-5 years old with 147 cases (25.00%) with an average age of 22.70 years. Similarly, a predominance of the female sex was observed with 58.19% of females versus 41.80% of males. The majority of cases were recorded in rural areas. The commune most affected is El-hanchan with a total of 149 cases, or 24.92% of the total cases observed. The epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis in Morocco seems to be gradually reached that of Mediterranean countries characterized by an increase in the number of cases and the emergence of new homes so far free of the parasite. Hence, the need for actions to combat well codified and adapted to different types of leishmaniasis. The measures undertaken in the framework of control program established in Morocco, have been evaluated on a permanent basis in order to develop and adapt them to the evolution of leishmaniasis in the province.

Treatment options for leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is broadly classified into three types: cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral. The visceral form is most dangerous and can result in death. Although leishmaniasis is an ancient disease, its treatment is still challenging. Several drugs, differing in their cost, toxicity, treatment duration and emergence of drug resistance, are used for different types of leishmaniasis. To overcome these limitations, the search for newer drugs and other treatments continues. In this article, we discuss conventional drugs, other treatments, including newer options such as immunotherapy and immunochemotherapy, and future prospects for leishmaniasis treatment.

The increased presence of repetitive motifs in the KDDR-plus recombinant protein, a kinesin-derived antigen from Leishmania infantum, improves the diagnostic performance of serological tests for human and canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by protozoa belonging to the Leishmania donovani complex and is considered the most serious and fatal form among the different types of leishmaniasis, if not early diagnosed and treated. Among the measures of disease control stand out the management of infected dogs and the early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of human cases. Several antigens have been characterized for use in the VL diagnosis, among them are the recombinant kinesin-derived antigens from L. infantum, as rK39 and rKDDR. The main difference between these antigens is the size of the non-repetitive kinesin region and the number of repetitions of the 39 amino acid degenerate motif (6.5 and 8.5 repeats in rK39 and rKDDR, respectively). This repetitive region has a high antigenicity score. To evaluate the effect of increasing the number of repeats on diagnostic performance, we designed the rKDDR-plus antigen, containing 15.3 repeats of the 39 amino acid degenerate motif, besides the absence of the non-repetitive portion from L. infantum kinesin. Its performance was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT), and compared with the kinesin-derived antigens (rKDDR and rK39). In ELISA with human sera, all recombinant antigens had a sensitivity of 98%, whereas the specificity for rKDDR-plus, rKDDR and rK39 was 100%, 96% and 71%, respectively. When evaluated canine sera, the ELISA sensitivity was 97% for all antigens, and the specificity for rKDDR-plus, rKDDR and rK39 was 98%, 91% and 83%, respectively. Evaluation of the ICT/rKDDR-plus, using human sera, showed greater diagnostic sensitivity (90%) and specificity (100%), when compared to the IT LEISH (79% and 98%, respectively), which is based on the rK39 antigen. These results suggest that the increased presence of repetitive motifs in the rKDDR-plus protein improves the diagnostic performance of serological tests by increasing the specificity and accuracy of the diagnosis.

Evidence of Pyrimethamine and Cycloguanil Analogues as Dual Inhibitors of Trypanosoma brucei Pteridine Reductase and Dihydrofolate Reductase.

Trypanosoma and Leishmania parasites are the etiological agents of various threatening neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease, and various types of leishmaniasis. Recently, meaningful progresses in the treatment of HAT, due to Trypanosoma brucei (Tb), have been achieved by the introduction of fexinidazole and the combination therapy eflornithine–nifurtimox. Nevertheless, due to drug resistance issues and the exitance of animal reservoirs, the development of new NTD treatments is still required. For this purpose, we explored the combined targeting of two key folate enzymes, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1). We formerly showed that the TbDHFR inhibitor cycloguanil (CYC) also targets TbPTR1, although with reduced affinity. Here, we explored a small library of CYC analogues to understand how their substitution pattern affects the inhibition of both TbPTR1 and TbDHFR. Some novel structural features responsible for an improved, but preferential, ability of CYC analogues to target TbPTR1 were disclosed. Furthermore, we showed that the known drug pyrimethamine (PYR) effectively targets both enzymes, also unveiling its binding mode to TbPTR1. The structural comparison between PYR and CYC binding modes to TbPTR1 and TbDHFR provided key insights for the future design of dual inhibitors for HAT therapy.

A Retrospective study on the dynamics of the clinical and Demographical evolution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Yazd province, Iran

Leishmaniasis is considered as an important health problem in the world. Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is epidemic in all of places of Iran, this disease begins as small swells and then they gradually grow and turn into wounds. Since the epidemiological study of this problem is effective in preventing and controlling it. The current research was conducted to study the epidemiological study of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Yazd province during the past 5(2014-2018) years. This cross-sectional study has been conducted on registered information and documents of the patients having problem in Yazd province remedial and health care centers over the past 5 years. First, the registered demographic and epidemiological data of the patients were extracted and then they were analyzed by using SPSS 18 software with chi-square test and descriptive statistics.897 patients included 457 males (51.06%) and 439 females (48.94%). The majority of the patients were between nine 20-29 years old and the minority of them were over the range of 5-9 years old. Most lesions were on the hand and leg of the patients. It was also found that there was a significant relationship between age groups and types of Leishmaniasis (P<0.05) as well as gender and type Leishmaniasis (P<0.05). According to our study, there has been an ascending trend in disease frequency in Yazd province from 2014 to 2018. This increase in diseases due to lack of health and educational status of the people-is also a lack of personal hygiene.

PECULIARITIES OF MANIFESTATION OF THE SKIN FORM OF LEISHMANIASIS OF MAXILLOFACIAL LOCALIZATION

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease in humans. Simple intracellular parasites cause the disease. Risk factors: socio-economic conditions, poverty. The disease is associated with malnutrition, with population displacement, with poor housing conditions, with a weak immune system, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of waste disposal. Up to 1 million new infections and up to 65,000 deaths from this disease occur annually. About 95% of cases of skin form disease occur in the countries of the American continent. Leishmaniasis occurs in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
 The carriers of this disease are female mosquitoes. In the mosquito, parasites are in flagellate form. The natural reservoirs of Leishmania can be around 70 species of animals and humans. Infection occurs through mosquito saliva. After a bite, the parasite invades human mononuclear phagocytes. There may be infection of a person in contact with ulcers and other types of damage. Veterinarians have noted a dramatically increasing number of cases of disease in domestic animals.
 The following forms are clinically distinguished: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, diffuse cutaneous and visceral forms of leishmaniasis. After the disease develops, a stable immunity to this particular type of leishmaniasis develops.
 Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form. Ulcers form in open areas of the body. Typical places of localization: face, ears, knees, elbows. Some nodules may have a warty surface or resemble xanthomas, keloids. After healing of these ulcers, scars remain for life.
 The nasopharynx, oral cavity, or nasal mucosa can be affected without destroying the nasal septum. For cutaneous leishmaniasis, the formation of an infectious granuloma is also characteristic.
 Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis can be local or systemic, depending on the damage and pathogen. Local treatment is suitable for minor and uncomplicated lesions. Local treatment options: heat therapy, cryotherapy. Systemic therapy is used in patients with multiple extensive rashes.
 Patient K. turned to the maxillofacial department. The patient came home to Ukraine for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment. The patient works in Poland at a construction site. According to the patient, several courses of treatment. The treatment had no result. The pharmacotherapy of our Polish colleagues is not known to us. Clinically: superficial skin lesions on the face. On the face are three ulcers of different sizes. Two ulcers on the cheeks and one on the nose. Palpation of the edges of the ulcers is very painful.
 Diagnostic search for the etiology of this process. Consultation of a rheumatologist ̶ the goal of eliminating Wegener's disease, rheumatological diseases. Hematologist consultation ̶ exclude hematology. Infectionist consultation ̶ rule out parasitic diseases. Laboratory examination: biochemical blood test, immunogram, rheumatic tests. CT scan of the abdomen.
 Consultation of a parasitologist. The diagnosis was not in doubt.The patient refused examination and treatment in the infectious diseases hospital. The further fate of this patient is not known to us. We want to draw the attention of doctors to the need for a thorough history taking. An epidemiological history is crucial in such cases.
 Treatment of leishmaniasis is long and toxic. No method of treatment gives 100% of the result. The choice of treatment method will depend on the type of pathogen and the geographical location of the infection.This disease can be brought by tourists, students from relevant countries of the world to Ukraine.

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Some Aminothiazole Derivatives as Antileishmanial Agents

Background: Leishmaniasis is a major health problem which is caused by the protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one type of leishmaniasis and selflimited in most of the cases. However, when the lesions come with scars, they make a deep lifelong stigma. Despite being WHO's research priority, the optimum treatment for this disease has not been found yet. The current study aimed to synthesize and assess the activity of some new aminothiazole compounds against Leishmania major-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Methods: Eight new aminothiazole derivatives were synthesized and their chemical structures were characterized by spectral data 1H-NMR spectroscopy, Mass spectrophotometry and elemental analysis. L. major parasites were inoculated into the tail base of BALB/c mice and the induced lesions were treated every other day with three different doses of the synthesized compounds against meglumine antimoniate as the drug reference for two weeks. Size of the lesions was observed for three weeks and the collected data were analyzed by SPSS software. Also, these compounds are docked into the active site of 14- α-demethylase as the targets in the treatment of leishmaniasis. Results: Among the synthesized aminothiazole derivatives, compounds 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 had good leishmanicidal effects. Docking binding energies showed that the synthesized compounds could act as inhibitors for 14- α-demethylase. Conclusions: Among the synthesized compounds, compound 3, (N-((4-chlorophenyl)(phenyl) methyl)thiazol-2-amine) was the most promising one which deserves future studies for the treatment of leishmaniasis.

Cartography and Epidemiological Study of Leishmaniasis Disease in Sefrou Province (2007-2010), Central North of Morocco.

Increasing cases of leishmaniasis disease have been reported during recent years in Sefrou Province, Central North of Morocco. This study presents the epidemiological profile of the provincial population, aims at analyzing the epidemiological profile, and in particular, spatiotemporal follow-up of all cases of leishmaniasis. It is a retrospective analysis of leishmaniasis cases recorded between 2007 and 2010. The data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 20). Over a four-year period, from 2007 to 2010, there were 62 cases of leishmaniasis, 93.12% of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 6.87% of visceral leishmaniasis. The case number of leishmaniasis in the Province of Sefrou varies between 0.165% and 0.0018%. For each type of leishmaniasis, the female sex was the most affected compared to the male sex. This difference cannot be considered statistically significant (χ2 = 0.083, p value = 0.77). For cutaneous leishmaniasis, all age groups were affected with a large percentage: patients aged 0–9 years with 63.11% followed by the age group [10–19] with 24.18%. Visceral leishmaniasis mainly has affected the infant population [0–9] with 83.33%. We have not observed any association between the age classes and the leishmaniasis type (χ2 = 6.20, p value = 0.4). From a spatial point of view, the majority of cases of leishmaniasis was reported in El Menzel region (67 cases) followed by Sefrou (64 cases) and Tazouta (38 cases). There is a statistically significant relationship between the type of leishmaniasis and the studied regions (χ2 = 52; p value <0.001). The study of the epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis cases may be useful in enlightening health authorities to develop screening, treatment, and control strategies to reduce the incidence rate of the disease. Other research studies can be conducted to the dynamics of the vectors of sandflies and their ecology.

Spatial Dynamics of a Phlebotomine Sand Flies Population in Response to Climatic Conditions in Bushehr Province of Iran.

Background:Phlebotomine (Ph.) sand flies are the vectors of different types of leishmaniasis and arboviruses to humans. Variations in climate conditions could lead to changes in the dynamics of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) and its agents, such as Ph. sand flies and reservoirs.Objective:The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial relationship among climatic factors and phlebotomine sand flies in abundance in Bushehr Province of Iran.Materials and Methods:In this study, six village sites in Bushehr Province were selected for collecting Ph. sand flies. All-night landing catches of Ph. sand flies occurred between January 15, 2016, and December 15, 2016. Two types of climatic data were used: satellite-based data included daytime and nighttime land surface temperature and the normalized deference vegetation index, and station-based data included annual rainfall and annual mean air temperature and solar radiation (W/M2). Spatial correlation analysis and multivariate ordinary least square regression was used to detect the spatial association between caught Ph. sand flies and climatic factors in a 0.95 confidence level (p = 0.05).Results:The results of the spatial correlation matrix indicated thermal factors, such as mean and maximum air temperature, instantaneous daytime and nighttime land surface temperatures, and radiation, show a direct and significant spatial correlation with the number of sand flies caught. The annual frequency of sand flies in the region showed the highest direct spatial relationship with the annual maximum air temperature (r = 0.91). Environmental moisture factors, such as precipitation and the vegetation index of the region, have spatial correlations of 0.63 and 0.44 with the frequency of the annual caught sand flies, which are significant at the confidence level of 0.95. The results of the multivariable model for estimating the frequency of the caught sand flies indicate environmental estimators, including mean air temperature, rainfall, radiation, and vegetation index, in a linear estimation model can explain the 0.85 spatial variation of the caught sand flies population.This study aimed to detect spatial correlations between the sand fly population and climatic factors. The results showed climatic factors were the most important controllers of the sand fly population in the interannual scale. If sand fly control programs are conducted in accordance with the climatic conditions of the area, the population of this carrier in Bushehr Province can be controlled and the incidence of disease significantly reduced.

Leishmanioses cutanées

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection caused by a flagellated parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania. In most cases, it is a zoonotic disease transmitted via a bite by bloodsucking sand-flies of the genus Phlebotomus. The disease reservoirs consist of wild or semi-domesticated animals, generally rodents or dogs. The disease itself is distributed extensively worldwide in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. Epidemiology is affected by environmental, migratory and climatic factors. Identification of the different types of leishmaniasis is based chiefly on the biochemical characteristics (isoenzymes) on which their classification is based. The offending parasites are dimorphic intracellular organisms within the phagosome of the host's immune cells, and a single-cell flagellated protozoan with a kinetoplast contained in the gut of the vector and in culture. Three major clinical forms are seen: cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucosal leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis. The clinical presentation depends on factors associated with the virulence of the parasite, with individual immune response and with the site of lesions. Although each type of leishmaniasis may have its own specific cutaneous signs and endemic regions, the most common presentations are crusted, ulcerated nodules and plaques. The natural history of leishmaniasis must also be considered when formulating therapeutic strategies. Cutaneous leishmaniasis resolves spontaneously within between one month and six years. While numerous therapeutic options have been considered in recent decades, very few have shown proven efficacy and safety. Antimony compounds administered either directly to the lesion or parenterally remain the standard treatment and their toxicity calls for vigilance and monitoring of therapy.

Evaluation of the NovaLisa™ Leishmania Infantum IgG ELISA in A Reference Diagnostic Laboratory in A Non-Endemic Country

Anti-Leishmania antibodies may be detectable in patients with leishmaniasis. Here, we compared a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies, with an immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) that is no longer commercially available. Eighty-six serum samples from 73 patients were tested. The results obtained by the NovaLisa™ Leishmania infantum IgG ELISA, interpreted according to the instructions of the manufacturer, but with a modified cut-off for borderline positive values, were compared with the IFAT results that were already available. Moreover, Leishmania Western blot IgG results were available for 43 of the samples. The overall concordance of ELISA and IFAT was 67%. The ELISA and IFAT tests scored as 24% and 15% of the samples being positive, respectively, while 13% and 33% scored as borderline-positive, respectively. Using a Western blot (WB) as the reference, the sensitivities and specificities for the positive plus borderline-positive samples combined was 95.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 77.2–99.9%) and 81.0% (95% CI, 58.1–94.6%) for ELISA, and 95.5% (95% CI, 77.2–99.9%) and 42.9% (95% CI, 21.8–66.0%) for IFAT, respectively. Overall, the ELISA proved to be a cost-effective alternative to the IFAT, due to its higher accuracy and specificity, and with a consequently lower number of confirmatory WB tests being required. Lastly, we also present data on the associations between seroconversion and the type of leishmaniasis.