Leishmaniasis in the major endemic region of Plurinational State of Bolivia: Species identification, phylogeography and drug susceptibility implications.

The Plurinational State of Bolivia is one of the Latin American countries with the highest prevalence of leishmaniasis, highlighting the lowlands of the Department of La Paz where about 50% of the total cases were reported. The control of the disease can be seriously compromised by the intrinsic variability of the circulating species that may limit the efficacy of treatment while favoring the emergence of resistance. Fifty-five isolates of Leishmania from cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions from patients living in different provinces of the Department of La Paz were tested. Molecular characterization of isolates was carried out by 3 classical markers: the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1), the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt-b). These markers were amplified by PCR and their products digested by the restriction endonuclease enzymes AseI and HaeIII followed by subsequent sequencing of Cyt-b gene and ITS-1 region for subsequent phylogenetic analysis. The combined use of these 3 markers allowed us to assign 36 isolates (65.5%) to the complex Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, 4 isolates (7, 27%) to L. (Viannia) lainsoni. and the remaining 15 isolates (23.7%) to a local variant of L. (Leishmania) mexicana. Concerning in vitro drug susceptibility the amastigotes from all isolates where highly sensitive to Fungizone® (mean IC50 between 0.23 and 0.5µg/mL) whereas against Glucantime® the sensitivity was moderate (mean IC50 ranging from 50.84µg/mL for L. (V.) braziliensis to 18.23µg/mL for L. (L.) mexicana. L. (V.) lainsoni was not sensitive to Glucantime®. The susceptibility to miltefosine was highly variable among species isolates, being L. (L.) mexicana the most sensitive, followed by L. (V.) braziliensis and L. (V.) lainsoni (mean IC50 of 8.24µg/mL, 17.85µg/mL and 23.28µg/mL, respectively).

Influência do estado nutricional na evolução clínica e terapêutica de adultos e idosos com leishmaniose tegumentar americana / Influence of the nutritional status in the clinical and therapeutical evolution in adults and elderly with american tegumentary leishmaniasis

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever o estado nutricional de pacientes adultos e idosos com leishmaniose tegumentar americana (LTA). Foi realizado um estudo longitudinal em 68 pacientes adultos e idosos com LTA atendidos no Laboratório de Vigilância em Leishmanioses – Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas – Fiocruz, no período de 2009 a 2012. A avaliação nutricional foi realizada através do peso, altura, Índice de Massa Corporal e albumina sérica. A evolução clínica(epitelização e cicatrização das lesões) foi avaliada até dois anos após o tratamento de LTA. A maioria da amostra era composta por homens (71%), adultos (73%), com renda familiar de 1 a 5salários mínimos (79%) e com grau de instrução fundamental incompleto (48,5%). A forma predominante da LTA foi a cutânea (72%) e 39% apresentaram comorbidades, sendo a hipertensão arterial a mais frequente (30,8%). As intercorrências clínicas e nutricionais mais prevalentes foram:redução recente na ingestão de alimentos (23,9%), obstrução nasal (22,1%), úlcera oral (14,7%),anorexia + disfagia (13,2% cada) e odinofagia (10,3%). O tempo de cicatrização foi de 145,50 ±87,84 dias para lesões cutâneas e 172,89 ± 123 dias para lesões mucosas. Foram observados baixo peso em 10% e hipoalbuminemia em 12% dos pacientes...

The objective of this study is to describe the nutritional status of adult and elderly patients with American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL). It was conducted a longitudinal study in 68 adult andelderly patients with ATL treating at the Laboratório de Vigilância em Leishmanioses (Surveillance Leishmaniasis Laboratory) at the Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas (Evandro Chagas Clinical Research Institute)-Fiocruz, from 2009 to 2012. The nutritional assessment was performedusing weight, height, the Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood albumin levels. The clinical evolution(epithelialization, and wound healing) was measured up to two years after ATL treatment. Most ofthe sample was composed of men (71%), adults (73%), with household income of 1-5 minimumwages (79%), and incomplete basic education (48.5%). The predominant ATL form was cutaneous(72%), and 39% presented comorbidities, the most frequent was hypertension (30.8%). The most prevalent clinical and nutritional events were: recent reduction in food intake (23.9%); nasal obstruction (22.1%); oral ulcer (14.7%), anorexia + dysphagia (13.2% each) and odynophagia(10.3%). The healing time was 145.50 ± 87.84 days for skin lesions, and 172.89 ± 123 days formucous membrane lesions. Low weight in 10%, and hypoalbuminemia in 12% of the patients havebeen observed...

Complejo Leishmania braziliensis: descripción de un caso pediátrico y revisión de la literatura / Leishmania braziliensis complex: description of a pediatric case and review of the literature

La leishmaniasis es una enfermedad infecciosa, no contagiosa, de evolución crónica, causada por un protozoario del género Leishmania y transmitida al hombre a través de la picadura del flebótomo hembra infectado, vector de la enfermedad. Presentamos el caso de un lactante menor con leishmaniasis cutánea localizada, que tuvo buena respuesta al tratamiento con antimoniato de N-metilglucamina.

Leishmaniasis is a chronic, infectious but not contagious disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected female sand fly, which is the vector of the disease. We present the case of an infant with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis who had a good response to the treatment with N-methylglucamine antimoniate.

Leishmaniose cutaneomucosa / Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis

Este trabalho tem por objetivo estudar a leishmaniose tegumentar americana ou cutaneomucosa pela relativa proporçäo de casos em nosso país. e uma doença infecciosa, crônica, näo-contagiosa, caracterizada pelo comprometimento da pele, mucosa e cartilagens. Nunca atinge os órgäos internos e tem como agente etiológico o protozoário do gênero Leishmania

Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis: a clinicopathologic classification.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis, a chronic parasitic disease transmitted by Phlebotomus sandflies, affects millions of patients. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania brasiliensis is endemic in much of South America. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to develop a system for staging mucocutaneous leishmaniasis on the basis of clinical, histopathologic, epidemiologic, and immunologic criteria. METHODS: Seventy-five Bolivian patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis were evaluated by history and physical examination; cutaneous, mucosal, and bone marrow biopsy specimens; and immunologic assessment. RESULTS: Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis may progress through three clinical stages: (1) the primary or cutaneous, (2) the cicatricial, and (3) the secondary or mucocutaneous stages. The primary stage can be further subdivided into three phases: lymphoplasmocytic, tuberculoid, and diffuse cutaneous phases. The secondary stage can also be subdivided into three phases: edematous, granulomatous proliferative, and granulomatous necrotizing stages. CONCLUSION: A classification or staging system enhances the ability to evaluate patients with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis and determine more accurately their prognosis and treatment.

Evaluation of the histopathological classifications of American cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.

In order to evaluate the reliability of histopathological classifications of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis the authors compared the histopathological patterns of two biopsies taken simultaneously from the same patient, and classified the material according to Ridley et al. (1980), to Magalhães et al. (1986a), and to a more simplified classification with only three patterns. Distinct histopathological aspects were observed in different lesions or even in the same lesion. The authors concluded that histopathological patterns do not represent a stage of tegumentary leishmaniasis, thus they can not be correlated with prognosis and therapeutical response as suggested in the literature.

[Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Histologic classification and anatomoclinical correlations. Apropos of 102 cases]. / Leishmaniose cutanéomuqueuse. Classification histologique et corrélations anatomocliniques. A propos de cent-deux cas.

Two hundred and three skin and mucosal biopsies performed in 162 patients suffering from leishmaniasis, were studied retrospectively. They were classified according to Ridley into 5 histological groups of increasing severity. In cutaneous leishmaniasis, a high proportion of the biopsies belonged to groups III and IV. In mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, the percentage of groups III and VI was lower and group V was present in 20% of cases. In 16 patients, followed by repeated biopsies, we detected some variations of the histological group during the course of the disease. However, there were no positive correlations between clinicopathological features and prognosis.

A histological classification of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil and its clinical evaluation.

Biopsies of skin and mucosal lesions were made on 60 well documented Brazilian patients with untreated cutaneous or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, whose response to treatment was subsequently evaluated in 38 cases. The biopsies were examined with a view to classification after correlation with clinical and immunological findings. Although there was no simple or unified spectrum, five histological groups were defined and found to have some clinico-prognostic significance. In two groups the cases were all cutaneous with a relatively good prognosis. In another two groups they were evolving as mucocutaneous with a poor prognosis. The fifth group showed mixed characteristics with a tendency to relapse. There was no strong correlation with serum antibodies or Montenegro skin test, which were usually positive, or with parasite load, which was always low. The tissue response was distinguished from that in oriental sore by the degree of connective tissue involvement in all groups. It was the primary response in two groups, and subsidiary to a mono-nuclear response in the others. It suggested damage due to extra-cellular parasites or immune complexes. It did not correlate with the distinction between cutaneous and mucocutaneous disease. The single, most favourable, prognostic feature in either the cellular or connective tissue component was necrosis with a reactive response.