Comparison of Intralesional Sodium Stibogluconate versus Intralesional Meglumine Antimoniate for the Treatment of Leishmania major Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Israel is endemic for Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis. The most common species is Leishmania major. However, the available treatment options are limited. This study's objective was to compare the authors' experience with different antimony intralesional treatments of Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis. A retrospective evaluation was undertaken for cases of Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis treated by pentavalent antimony in a university-affiliated medical centre in Israel. The previous treatment of intralesional sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam®) was compared with the current treatment of meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®). One hundred cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated during the study period, of whom 33 were treated with intralesional sodium stibogluconate and 67 were treated with intralesional meglumine antimoniate. The patients were 78 males and 22 females, mean age 24 (range 10-67) and there was a total of 354 skin lesions. Within 3 months from treatment, 91% (30/33) of the intralesional sodium stibogluconate group and 88% (59/67) of the intralesional meglumine antimoniate group had complete healing of the cutaneous lesions after an average of 3 treatment cycles (non-statistically significant). In conclusion, the 2 different medications have the same efficacy and safety for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis. Pentavalent antimoniate intralesional infiltration treatment is safe, effective, and well tolerated with minimal side effects for Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Correlations of Aerobic Capacity with External and Internal Load of Young Football Players during Small-Sided Games.

Aerobic capacity plays a crucial role in football performance, making it a focal point in training processes. Small-sided games (SSGs) are widely used in football training, but the relationship between aerobic capacity and running performance during SSGs remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate possible correlations between maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and running performance in youth football players in SSGs (4:4, 3:3, 2:2, 1:1) with three different pitch sizes per player (150, 100, 75 m2/player). Sixteen male U15 football players participated in the study. Players underwent the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1, and their VO2max was estimated based on their performance. Subsequently, players participated in SSGs wearing GPS devices to measure internal and external load. Pearson or Spearman correlation was applied for statistical analysis depending on the normal distribution of the data. The results reveal that, for 4:4 and 3:3 relationships, larger pitches led to a greater impact of aerobic capacity (total distance (TD): 4:4, 150 m2/pl, r = 0.715, p = 0.002; 100 m2/pl, r = 0.656, p = 0.006; 75 m2/pl, r = 0.586, p = 0.017). In the 2:2 relationship, the opposite was observed, with more correlations appearing on smaller pitches (TD: 2:2, 100 m2/pl, r = 0.581, p = 0.018; 75 m2/pl, r = 0.747, p < 0.001). In the 1:1 relationship, correlations with VO2max, total distance, and speed were observed only on the larger pitch. In conclusion, the aerobic capacity of young football players can influence running performance indicators in SSGs. Therefore, aerobic capacity could serve as a criterion for team composition, making SSGs more competitive. Additionally, the variation in correlations in the 2:2 relationship and their limited presence in the 1:1 relationship may be attributed to technical-tactical factors, such as increased ball contacts and one-on-one situations typically occurring in smaller setups.

Leishmania blood parasite dynamics during and after treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa: A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model.

BACKGROUND: With the current treatment options for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), recrudescence of the parasite is seen in a proportion of patients. Understanding parasite dynamics is crucial to improving treatment efficacy and predicting patient relapse in cases of VL. This study aimed to characterize the kinetics of circulating Leishmania parasites in the blood, during and after different antileishmanial therapies, and to find predictors for clinical relapse of disease. METHODS: Data from three clinical trials, in which Eastern African VL patients received various antileishmanial regimens, were combined in this study. Leishmania kinetoplast DNA was quantified in whole blood with real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) before, during, and up to six months after treatment. An integrated population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model was developed using non-linear mixed effects modelling. RESULTS: Parasite proliferation was best described by an exponential growth model, with an in vivo parasite doubling time of 7.8 days (RSE 12%). Parasite killing by fexinidazole, liposomal amphotericin B, sodium stibogluconate, and miltefosine was best described by linear models directly relating drug concentrations to the parasite elimination rate. After treatment, parasite growth was assumed to be suppressed by the host immune system, described by an Emax model driven by the time after treatment. No predictors for the high variability in onset and magnitude of the immune response could be identified. Model-based individual predictions of blood parasite load on Day 28 and Day 56 after start of treatment were predictive for clinical relapse of disease. CONCLUSION: This semi-mechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model adequately captured the blood parasite dynamics during and after treatment, and revealed that high blood parasite loads on Day 28 and Day 56 after start of treatment are an early indication for VL relapse, which could be a useful biomarker to assess treatment efficacy of a treatment regimen in a clinical trial setting.

A new method to identify key match-play behaviours of young soccer players: Development of the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool.

The aim of this research was to assess the validity and reliability of a newly developed scoring tool, designed for monitoring youth soccer players during match-play performance to support coaches/scouts with the talent identification process. The method used to design the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool comprised of a five-stage process of (i) conducting an initial literature review to establish content validity (ii) gaining content validity through a cross sectional online survey (iii) establishing face validity via expert coach feedback (iv) conducting inter-rater reliability tests and (v) intra-rater reliability tests. In stage two, twenty-two soccer academy practitioners completed an online survey, which revealed that player behaviours such as resilience, competitiveness, and decision making were all valued as the most important behavioural characteristics by practitioners (90.9%), whilst X-factor was valued as least important by a significant amount (27.2%). Stages three to five of the testing procedure included a sample of four academy coaches not involved in the preceding stage. Twenty male collegiate soccer players (under-16 to under-18) involved in the study took part in four versus four small-sided games (SSG) in a 'round-robin' tournament across three weeks which accumulated 14 SSG's, 100-140 minutes of playing time and 70-98 individual player grades. Two of the four academy coaches watched the SSG's and used the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool to assess live evidence of desirable player behaviours, which was subsequently followed by retrospective video analysis for intra-rater reliability testing. The remaining two academy coaches watched the same SSG retrospective video footage to test for inter-rater reliability. Reliability results revealed an acceptable level of agreement with scores between 81.25%-89.9% for inter-rater whilst intra-rater provided scores between 80.35%-99.4%. Preliminary evidence here suggests that the Hull Soccer Behavioural Scoring Tool is both a valid and reliable method to assess desirable player behaviours during talent identification processes. Thus, youth soccer practitioners and researchers should seek to test and further validate the tool in order to confirm its utility as a means of measuring behavioural characteristics of youth soccer players.

Repurposing sodium stibogluconate as an uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor against prostate cancer using a time-resolved oligonucleotide-based drug screening platform.

Repurposing drugs can significantly reduce the time and costs associated with drug discovery and development. However, many drug compounds possess intrinsic fluorescence, resulting in aberrations such as auto-fluorescence, scattering and quenching, in fluorescent high-throughput screening assays. To overcome these drawbacks, time-resolved technologies have received increasing attention. In this study, we have developed a rapid and efficient screening platform based on time-resolved emission spectroscopy in order to screen for inhibitors of the DNA repair enzyme, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG). From a database of 1456 FDA/EMA-approved drugs, sodium stibogluconate was discovered as a potent UDG inhibitor. This compound showed synergistic cytotoxicity against 5-fluorouracil-resistant cancer cells. This work provides a promising future for time-resolved technologies for high-throughput screening (HTS), allowing for the swift identification of bioactive compounds from previously overlooked scaffolds due to their inherent fluorescence properties.

Endurance Performance Adaptations between SSG and HIIT in Soccer Players: A Meta-analysis.

The objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to compare the endurance performance chronic adaptations induced by running-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT), small-sided games (SSGs), and combined HIIT+SSGs in male and female youth and adult soccer players. The studies included in this review followed the PICOS criteria: (i) healthy soccer players; (ii) interventions based on SSGs; (iii) comparators exposed to only HIIT or combined SSGs+HIIT; (iv) endurance performance variables. Studies were searched for in the following databases: (i) PubMed; (ii) Scopus; (iii) SPORTDiscus; (iv) Web of Science. After conducting an initial database search that retrieved a total of 5,389 records, a thorough screening process resulted in the inclusion of 20 articles that met the eligibility criteria. Sixteen studies reported outcomes related to endurance performance measured through field-based tests, while five studies provided results from direct measurements of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Results showed a non-significant small-magnitude favoring effect for the HIIT groups compared to the SSG groups (ES=0.37, p=0.074) for endurance, while a non-significant small-magnitude favoring SSGs was observed (ES=-0.20, p=0.303) for VO2max. Despite the very low certainty of evidence, the findings suggest similar effects induced by both SSG and HIIT on improving endurance performance and VO2max.

Evaluation of IL-8, nitric oxide and macrophage inhibitory factor as clinical circulatory markers in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, before and during sodium stibogluconate treatment.

The clinical spectrum of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), an intracellular parasitic pathogen, ranges from a single sore healing to chronic crusty lesions with a manifestation of treatment resistance. The complicated interaction between Leishmania bodies and the early immune response, including innate and adaptive mechanisms, determines the evolution of nodules. This study examined the levels of the chemoattractant interleukin 8 (IL-8), pro-inflammatory nitric oxide (NO), and immunoregulatory macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) in the serum of subjects recently diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis, in parallel with patients being monitored during consecutive sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) treatment. A total of 161 serum samples of newly diagnosed individuals and patients undergoing pentostam injections were collected form an endemic area of Diyala, east central of Iraq. Sandwich ELISA was used to measure the level of IL-8, NO and MIF in the studied groups. Results of circulatory markers levels showed a considerable difference in all groups, with IL-8 being exceptionally higher in the first two groups of pretreated and dose-1 (191.5, 273.64) pg/ml respectively, while NO was found to be lower than in control subjects, particularly in the pretreated group (12.08 µmol/L) and MIF level was significantly higher in the pretreated group, which was (7.18 pg/ml). These findings can provide insights for distinction of disease phase and monitoring treatment efficacy along consecutive dosages, particularly in populations where CL is endemic.

Histological findings associated with treatment response in cutaneous leishmaniasis: a clinicopathological correlation study.

BACKGROUND: Treatment responses to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) observed in Sri Lanka show variability, ranging from quick healing to delayed or failed responses to routine medication. The determinants of these differences in treatment response are not well defined. This study aimed to identify predictive features of treatment response and outcome in localized CL caused by Leishmania donovani, focusing on both clinical and histopathological findings in the patients. METHODS: Tissue sections (n = 103) derived from 3 mm punch biopsies of parasitologically confirmed patients were assessed. Patients were followed up weekly until complete healing of skin lesions and were reviewed at the end of 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: Healing required 7-21 weekly doses of intralesional sodium stibogluconate (IL-SSG) (mean = 12.2 ± 0.622). Twenty-nine (28.1%) patients were identified as delayed responders. None had recurred at the end of 1 year. The demographic or clinical features (age, gender, lesion type, size, location, and lesion duration) did not significantly influence the treatment response. A heavy parasite load and acanthosis were significant predictors of a delayed response to treatment (P < 0.001). Higher parasite loads were associated with inflammation of the entire dermis (P = 0.008), more intense infiltration of macrophages (p = 0.001), and epidermal atrophy (P = 0.033). Well-formed granulomas were inversely proportional to parasite loads. CONCLUSIONS: Histology findings proved to be better prognostic markers than clinical features for delayed responders to treatment and will aid in targeted patient management when tissue biopsies are performed in the initial diagnosis of CL.

Treatment of leishmaniasis with chemotherapy and vaccine: a mathematical model.

Leishmaniasis, an infectious disease, manifests itself mostly in two forms, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and, a more severe and potentially deadly form, visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The current control strategy for leishmaniasis relies on chemotherapy drugs such as sodium antimony gluconate (SAG) and meglumine antimoniate (MA). However, all these chemotherapy compounds have poor efficacy, and they are associated with toxicity and other adverse effects, as well as drug resistance. While research in vaccine development for leishmaniasis is continuously progressing, no vaccine is currently available. However, some experimental vaccines such as LEISH-F1+MPL-SE (V) have demonstrated some efficacy when used as drugs for CL patients. In this paper we use a mathematical model to address the following question: To what extent vaccine shots can enhance the efficacy of standard chemotherapy treatment of leishmaniasis? Starting with standard MA treatment of leishmaniasis and combining it with three injections of V , we find, by Day 84, that efficacy increased from 29% to 65-91% depending on the amount of the vaccine. With two or just one injection of V , efficacy is still very high, but there is a definite resurgence of the disease by end-time.

A case report of an uncommon presentation of cutaneous leishmaniasis: A nose lesion.

Leishmaniasis is a widely spread zoonotic disease caused by the bite of infected sandflies, particularly in developing countries. Cutaneous leishmaniasis can have a diverse range of presentations, ranging from minor skin nodules to significant mucosal damage. However, nose involvement is infrequent. Our report highlights a 15-year-old female patient with a persistent skin lesion on her nose for three months, which is a rare manifestation of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The lesion started as a raised spot with a brownish-red color and a crust but eventually developed into an ulcer that spread over the entire lobe of the nose and even moved toward the eye. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of Leishmania amastigotes, and a biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The patient received daily intravenous sodium stibogluconate doses of 9 mg/kg for 20 days, and three weeks later, there was a significant clinical improvement, with the ulcer beginning to heal and no more amastigotes visible on microscopic examination. It is crucial to keep cutaneous leishmaniasis in mind as a possible diagnosis for patients with skin lesions, even in regions where the condition is not prevalent.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Sodium Chloride Nanoparticles on the Vitality of Leishmania Major (in vitro).

Leishmaniasis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases transmitted to humans by sand flies (Phlebotomus spp). Leishmania major promastigote causes Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in humans. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Sodium Chloride nanoparticles (NaCl NPs) on the vitality of Leishmania major promastigote compared with the standard dose of Pentostam under laboratory conditions. Various concentrations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 µg/ml of the NaCl NPs were prepared. These concentrations were tested in vitro on L. major growth by the culture of the parasite in the cell culture microplate. After the fourth day, a different concentration of NaCl NPs was added with three replicates for each concentration. Later, the numbers of promastigotes were counted daily using a Haemocytometer stained by Trypan blue solution stain duration of the study, which continued for four days. The results showed that the Growth Index (GI) rate of L. major promastigote was decreased with increasing NaCl NPs concentration. The Growth Index rates were 1.32×106, 1.31×106, 0.95×106, and 0.78×106 for the mentioned concentrations. These values were compared with the rate of the Pentostam group and control group, which were 1.09×106 and 3.43×106, respectively. The results revealed that the highest inhibition percentage was 92% for 8 µg/ml NaCl NPs after 96 hours, Pentostam group and control group, which were %86 and %0.00 for inhibition promastigote, respectively in the same period. The statistical analysis revealed a significant difference among concentrations at P≤0.05 compared with the Pentostam and control groups. The current study concluded that the NaCl NPs have an excellent biological effect in inhibiting L. major promastigote growth in vitro. These promising results paved the way for employing NaCl NPs to treat human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Soccer-drill specificity in top-class male players with reference to peak match locomotor demands.

To compare the locomotor demands of several ball/running drills with the official match peak, locomotor demands determined across different time-windows of the same duration in top-class male soccer players (n = 40). Total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR, 15-20 km⋅h-1), very high-speed running (VHSR, 20-24 km⋅h-1), sprint and acceleration+deceleration (Acc+Dec >±3 m⋅s-2) distances were measured during training and official matches. A total of 9372 individual observations were classified as technical-tactical drills, small-sided games (SSGs), super-SSGs (pitch-area >340 m2·player), SSGs with rules modifications (SSGmodified), individual positional drills or running drills. The relative (m·min-1) TD, HSR, VHSR, sprint and Acc+Dec were compared with the peak locomotor demands determined during official matches across different time-windows (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-min). Individual position-specific drill, super-SSGs, SSGmodified and running drills showed similar (P > 0.05) or higher (P < 0.05; ES:1.17/4.61) than match TD, HSR and VHSR, while sprint and Acc+Dec were lower (P < 0.05). Conversely, technical-tactical drills and SSGs showed lower (P < 0.05; ES:-1.00/-3.45) TD, HSR, VHSR, sprint and Acc+Dec than official match peak demands. Locomotor loads during technical-tactical drills and SSGs were lower than peak demands, particularly for VHSR and sprint. Since training intensity is a key factor for high-performance development, these results may help to prepare top-class players for the official match peak demands.

Comparación de la eficacia y toxicidad del estibogluconato de sodio y antimoniato de meglumina en el tratamiento de leishmaniasis cutánea en Perú / Efficacy and safety of sodium stibogluconate compared to meglumine antimoniate in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru

Objetivos : Comparar la eficacia y toxicidad del antimoniato de meglumina (AM) y estibogluconato sódico (EGS) en el tratamiento de leishmaniasis cutánea (LC) en un hospital general. Material y métodos : Serie de casos comparativa de 193 pacientes con LC tratados en tres ensayos clínicos con AM (n=69) y EGS (n=124) durante 2001-2010. La administración de ambas drogas fue vía endovenosa lenta de 20 mg Sb5+/kg/día por 20 días consecutivos siguiendo las normativas de la OPS y OMS. La información clínica, toxicidad y eficacia fue obtenida de las historias clínicas almacenadas en el centro de investigación según la normativa local e internacional. Resultados : Las características demográficas fueron similares entre grupos, pero el tamaño y número de lesiones fueron mayores en el grupo AM. La eficacia del tratamiento con AM fue 76,0% versus 68,4% con EGS (p=0,340) y 55,1% versus 50,8% (p=0,570) en el análisis por protocolo y de intención de tratar, respectivamente. No se observaron efectos adversos inmediatos. Los síntomas más frecuentemente reportados fueron disgeusia (37,0%), mareos (32,0%), cefalea (36,0%), artralgias (31,0%) y linfangitis (21,0%). Los tres primeros síntomas, así como elevación de transaminasas, leucopenia, trombocitopenia y QTc prolongado fueron frecuentes en el grupo EGS, pero clínica y estadísticamente no significativos. El tratamiento fue suspendido definitivamente por toxicidad severa únicamente con EGS por emesis refractaria (2 participantes) y QTc prolongado con extrasístoles (1 participante). Conclusiones : La eficacia del tratamiento con AM y EGS fue comparable. La administración endovenosa de ambos no produjo efectos adversos inmediatos, aunque sí alteraciones clínicas y laboratoriales usuales.

SUMMARY Objectives : To compare the efficacy and safety of sodium stibogluconate (SS) and meglumine antimoniate (MA) in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in a general hospital. Methods: Case-series of 193 patients with CL treated in three clinical trials with MA (n=69) and SS (n=124) during 2001-2010. Both study drugs were administered intravenously at a slow speed at 20 mg Sb5+/kg/day for 20 consecutive days following WHO-PAHO recommendations. Clinical and safety data were gathered from clinical files. Results: Demographic characteristics were similar between the study groups, but the size and number of lesions were higher in the MA group. Efficacy was 76.0% in the MA vs. 68.4% in the SS group (p=0.340) and 55.1% vs. 50.8% (p=0.570) in the per protocol and intention to treat analysis. respectively. Side effects more frequently reported were dysgeusia (37.0%). dizziness (32.0%). headache (36.0%). arthralgia (31.0%) and lymphangitis (21.0%). These first three symptoms as well as elevation of transaminases, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and prolonged QTc were numerically more frequent in the SS group but without reaching statistical significance. Treatment was stopped definitively for severe toxicity in the SS group due to refractory emesis (two patients) and prolonged QTc (one patient). Conclusions: The efficacy of MA and SS is comparable. The intravenous administration of these compounds did not produce immediate reactions, but it was associated with unusual clinical and laboratory abnormalities.

Effects of short bout small-sided game training on acid-based balance markers in youth male soccer players.

This study aimed to compare the effects of 1 × 1 small-sided games (SSGs) with different bout durations on external (ETL) and internal training loads (ITL) in youth soccer players. Twenty U18 players were divided into two groups performing six 1 × 1 SSGs with 30 and 45 s bout durations on a playing field of 10 by 15 m. ITL indices, including the percentage of maximum heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa) level, pH, bicarbonate (HCO3-) level, and base excess (BE) level, were measured at rest, after each SSG bout, and 15 and 30 min after the entire exercise protocol. ETL (Global Positioning System metrics) was recorded during all six SSG bouts. The analysis showed that the 45 s SSGs had a greater volume (large effect) but a lower training intensity (small to large effect) than the 30 s SSGs. A significant time effect (p < 0.05) was observed in all ITL indices and a significant group effect (F1, 18 = 8.84, p = 0.0082, ƞ2 = 0.33) in the HCO3- level only. Finally, the changes in the HR and HCO3- level were smaller in the 45 s SSGs than in the 30 s SSGs. In conclusion, 30-s games, characterized by a higher intensity of training effort, are more physiologically demanding than 45-s games. Secondly during short-bout SSG training the HR and BLa level have limited diagnostic value for ITL. Extending ITL monitoring using other indicators, such as the HCO3- and BE levels, appears reasonable.

Paromomycin and Miltefosine Combination as an Alternative to Treat Patients With Visceral Leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa: A Randomized, Controlled, Multicountry Trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether paromomycin plus miltefosine (PM/MF) is noninferior to sodium stibogluconate plus paromomycin (SSG/PM) for treatment of primary visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Africa. METHODS: An open-label, phase 3, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in adult and pediatric patients at 7 sites in eastern Africa. Patients were randomly assigned to either 20 mg/kg paromomycin plus allometric dose of miltefosine (14 days), or 20 mg/kg sodium stibogluconate plus 15 mg/kg paromomycin (17 days). The primary endpoint was definitive cure after 6 months. RESULTS: Of 439 randomized patients, 424 completed the trial. Definitive cure at 6 months was 91.2% (155 of 170) and 91.8% (156 of 170) in the PM/MF and SSG/PM arms in primary efficacy modified intention-to-treat analysis (difference, 0.6%; 97.5% confidence interval [CI], -6.2 to 7.4), narrowly missing the noninferiority margin of 7%. In the per-protocol analysis, efficacy was 92% (149 of 162) and 91.7% (155 of 169) in the PM/MF and SSG/PM arms (difference, -0.3%; 97.5% CI, -7.0 to 6.5), demonstrating noninferiority. Treatments were well tolerated. Four of 18 serious adverse events were study drug-related, and 1 death was SSG-related. Allometric dosing ensured similar MF exposure in children (<12 years) and adults. CONCLUSIONS: PM/MF and SSG/PM efficacies were similar, and adverse drug reactions were as expected given the drugs safety profiles. With 1 less injection each day, reduced treatment duration, and no risk of SSG-associated life-threatening cardiotoxicity, PM/MF is a more patient-friendly alternative for children and adults with primary visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Africa. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03129646.

Effect of sodium stibogluconate in recruiting and awakening immune cells in the pleural fluid of pancreatic cancer: preparation for immunotherapy.

Ascites and pleural effusion are recognized complications of pancreatic cancer. These diseases are accompanied by ascites and pleural effusion, and drug treatment is limited by high costs, long hospital stays, and failure rates. Immunotherapy may offer new option, but in most patients with late stages of cancer, immune cells may lose the ability to recognize tumor cells, how to activate their immune cells is a major problem, sodium glucosidate (SSG) is injected into ascites as a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor to wake up immune cells and prepare for immunotherapy. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate whether and how SSG injected into ascites of pancreatic cancer elicits an immune response. Our study showed that the process of SSG fusion treatment of ascites and pleural effusion, the interaction between TandNK cells, MPs cells, monocytes and neutrophils was induced, and large numbers of genes were expressed, resulting in upregulation of immune response, which also approved that SSG is not only used as a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, but also it works as a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor. It can also be used to regulate immune cell function, recruiting immune cells to the right place with the help of PD-1 or PD-L1 to fight cancer cells in ascites and pleural effusions in cancer patients.

Case Report: Visceral Leishmaniasis-associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Adults: A Case Series and Literature Review.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and fatal complication of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). To provide a basis for early and correct diagnosis and to improve prognosis in the future, we describe a case series of VL-associated HLH in adults in our center in the past decade after review of all reported cases of adult VL-associated HLH in English through May 2022. In our case series, a total of 111 patients were diagnosed with VL. Among these patients, only six cases were diagnosed with VL-associated HLH. All patients tested positive for serology. Leishmania was detected for the first time by bone marrow aspiration (BMA) in three of the six patients and in the other three patients after three or four BMAs. It took more than 1 month from onset to diagnosis of VL for all the six cases, and the longest time was 6 months. Five of the six patients recovered after receiving sodium stibogluconate. VL-associated HLH is rare but potentially life-threatening in adults and predisposes to early delays in diagnosis. However, diagnostic techniques are not complicated or difficult, so it is more important to consider that it is not recognized by physicians. Although guidelines recommend liposomal amphotericin B as the most effective therapy, our experience suggests that sodium stibogluconate can be an alternative option when liposomal amphotericin B is unavailable or unaffordable.

Effectiveness of intralesional sodium stibogluconate for the treatment of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis at Boru Meda general hospital, Amhara, Ethiopia: Pragmatic trial.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is generally caused by Leishmania aethiopica in Ethiopia, and is relatively hard to treat. Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is the only routinely and widely available antileishmanial treatment, and can be used systemically for severe lesions and locally for smaller lesions. There is limited data on the effectiveness of intralesional (IL) SSG for localized CL in Ethiopia and therefore good data is necessary to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of the treatment. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A pragmatic (before and after Quazi experimental) study was done to assess the effectiveness of intralesional SSG among localized CL patients at Boru Meda general hospital, Northeast Ethiopia. Patients who were assigned to intralesional SSG by the treating physician were eligible for this study. Study subjects were recruited between January and August 2021. Infiltration of intralesional SSG was given weekly to a maximum of six doses. However, when a patient's lesions were already cured before getting 6 doses, treatment was not conintued, and patient were only asked to come for lesion assessment. Skin slit smears (SSS) were taken each week until they became negative. Outcomes were assessed at day 90, with patients who had 100% reepithelization (for ulcerative lesions) and/or flattening (for indurated lesions) defined as cured. Multi-level logistic regression was done to assess factors associated with cure. A total of 83 patients were enrolled, and final outcomes were available for 72 (86.75%). From these 72, 43 (59.7%, 95% confidence interval 0.44-0.69) were cured at day 90. Adverse effects were common with 69/72 patients (95.8%) reporting injection site pain. Factors associated with cure were age (OR 1.07 95% CI: 1.07-1.27), being male (OR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.25), size of the lesion (OR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.078-0.94) and skin slit smear (SSS) result +1 grading (OR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.24-1.73) and +2 grading (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.41-3.89) compared to the SSS grade +6. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that intralesional sodium stibogluconate resulted in a cure rate of around 60%, with almost all patients experiencing injection site pain. This emphasizes the need for local treatment options which are more patient-friendly and have better cure rates.

Global distribution of treatment resistance gene markers for leishmaniasis.

BACKGROUND: Pentavalent antimonials (Sb(V)) such as meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®) and sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam®) are used as first-line treatments for leishmaniasis, either alone or in combination with second-line drugs such as amphotericin B (Amp B), miltefosine (MIL), methotrexate (MTX), or cryotherapy. Therapeutic aspects of these drugs are now challenged because of clinical resistance worldwide. METHODS: We reviewedthe recent original studies were assessed by searching in electronic databases such as Scopus, Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science. RESULTS: Studies on molecular biomarkers involved in drug resistance are essential for monitoring the disease. We reviewed genes and mechanisms of resistance to leishmaniasis, and the geographical distribution of these biomarkers in each country has also been thoroughly investigated. CONCLUSION: Due to the emergence of resistant genes mainly in anthroponotic Leishmania species such as L. donovani and L. tropica, as the causative agents of ACL and AVL, respectively, selection of an appropriate treatment modality is essential. Physicians should be aware of the presence of such resistance for the selection of proper treatment modalities in endemic countries.

In vitro leishmanicidal activity of two cholesterol derivatives.

We evaluated the leishmanicidal activity of commercially available 5α-cholest-7-en-3ß-ol [5α-chol], (+)-4-cholesten-3-one [(+)-4-chol] and the equimolar mixture of the two of them in promastigotes and amastigotes of two different strains of Leishmania mexicana (LCL) and (DCL). The leishmanicidal effectiveness of these sterols was determined by promastigote growth-kinetic experiments and promastigote viability using the propidium iodide staining procedure. The proliferation test was performed using the CFSE (5-Carboxyfluorescein N-succinimidyl ester) staining of parasites at different time points. To determine the leishmanicidal effectiveness of these sterols in amastigotes, we evaluated parasite killing inside of macrophages at different time points. The trypan blue exclusion test was used to determine cytotoxicity of sterols in uninfected macrophages. We included in all experiments a control group of parasites treated with 2% DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) and another one treated with the reference drug sodium stibogluconate (Sb). Our results showed that the equimolar mixture at 2000 times lower concentration presented similar leishmanicidal activity as Sb. This mixture was similarly effective at 100 times lower concentration than individual sterols tested separately indicating the existence of a synergistic effect against LCL and DCL parasites. The therapeutic index of the equimolar mixture was 10,000-16,000 times higher than the one recorded by Sb and was not cytotoxic to macrophages. Therefore, the equimolar mixture of 5α-Chol and (+)-4-chol may represent a potential alternative for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.