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Deepachandi B, Ejazi SA, Bhattacharyya A, Ali N, Soysa P, Siriwardana Y. Measuring the sero-prevalence of Leishmania donovani induced cutaneous leishmaniasis: A method comparison study. Parasitol Int 2023; 92:102660. [PMID: 36038060 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
An in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on crude antigen of Leishmania reported a high sero-prevalence (82.0%) in Leishmania donovani induced cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka. ELISA was further compared with established serological tools to identify a suitable point of care diagnostic tool. Sero-prevalence of 100 CL samples were analyzed using in-house ELISA, Indian dipstick test and rK39 strip test. Results obtained were further compared with direct agglutination test (DAT) for 40 CL. Test performance was evaluated using Kappa index value. Clinico-epidemiological characteristics of patients were analyzed using SPSSv25.0. Cost analysis of tests was carried out. ELISA showed a high sero-positivity of 81.0% (n = 81/100) while DAT (57.5%,n = 23/40), Indian dipstick test (22.0%,n = 22/100) and rK39 test (15.0%,n = 15/100) showed a comparatively less sero-positivity. According to Kappa index values, there were no perfect agreement between tests. Among ELISA positive patients (n = 81/100), DAT, Indian dipstick test and rK39 demonstrated sero-positivity rates of 61.3% (n = 19/31), 25.9% (n = 21/81) and 16.0% (n = 13/81) respectively. Among ELISA negative patients (n = 19/100), three assays demonstrated sero-positivity rates of 44.4% (n = 4/9), 5.3% (n = 1/9) and 10.5% (n = 2/19) respectively. DAT can be used as an alternative test when ELISA is not available or negative. Clinico-epidemiological profiles of patients that showed sero-positivity by each assay were different. Cost per patient was approximately 5.5 USD for DAT and 3.0 USD for each other tests. Established serological tests demonstrated different and relatively lower detection rates. Species, strain and antigen heterogeneity, inconsistency in amount of used antigens, sera, antibody expression patterns and testing methodologies could be responsible. This study highlighted the importance of designing an in-house serological assay based on local parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhagya Deepachandi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Sarfaraz A Ejazi
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal 700032, India
| | | | - Nahid Ali
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal 700032, India
| | - Preethi Soysa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Yamuna Siriwardana
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka.
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Gow I, Smith NC, Stark D, Ellis J. Laboratory diagnostics for human Leishmania infections: a polymerase chain reaction-focussed review of detection and identification methods. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:412. [PMID: 36335408 PMCID: PMC9636697 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05524-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania infections span a range of clinical syndromes and impact humans from many geographic foci, but primarily the world's poorest regions. Transmitted by the bite of a female sand fly, Leishmania infections are increasing with human movement (due to international travel and war) as well as with shifts in vector habitat (due to climate change). Accurate diagnosis of the 20 or so species of Leishmania that infect humans can lead to the successful treatment of infections and, importantly, their prevention through modelling and intervention programs. A multitude of laboratory techniques for the detection of Leishmania have been developed over the past few decades, and although many have drawbacks, several of them show promise, particularly molecular methods like polymerase chain reaction. This review provides an overview of the methods available to diagnostic laboratories, from traditional techniques to the now-preferred molecular techniques, with an emphasis on polymerase chain reaction-based detection and typing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ineka Gow
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
| | - Nicholas C. Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
| | - Damien Stark
- Department of Microbiology, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 Australia
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
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Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are a novel potential reservoir for human visceral leishmaniasis in the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:745-750. [PMID: 36265672 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex human disease caused by intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania, predominantly transmitted by the bite of sand flies. In Italy, leishmaniasis is caused exclusively by Leishmania infantum, responsible for the human and canine visceral leishmaniases (HVL and CVL, respectively). Within the Emilia-Romagna region, two different foci are active in the municipalities of Pianoro and Valsamoggia (both in the province of Bologna). Recent molecular studies indicated that L. infantum strains circulating in dogs and humans are different, suggesting that there is an animal reservoir other than dogs for human visceral leishmaniasis in the Emilia-Romagna region. In this work, we analyzed specimens from wild animals collected during hunts or surveillance of regional parks near active foci of human visceral leishmaniasis for L. infantum infection in the province of Bologna. Out of 70 individuals analyzed, 17 (24%) were positive for L. infantum. The infection prevalence in hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), badgers (Meles meles), and bank voles (Myodes glareolus) was 80, 33, 25, and 11%, respectively. To distinguish the two strains of L. infantum we have developed a nested PCR protocol optimized for animal tissues. Our results demonstrated that most (over 90%) of L. infantum infections in roe deer were due to the strain circulating in humans in the Emilia-Romagna region.
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Simonson P, Bhattacharyya T, El-Safi S, Miles MA. Linear and conformational determinants of visceral leishmaniasis diagnostic antigens rK28 and rK39. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:387. [PMID: 36273150 PMCID: PMC9587664 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05495-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recombinant antigens rK39 (based on kinesin sequence) and rK28 (comprising kinesin and HASPB sequences) are a mainstay of serological diagnosis for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). However, their key epitopes and the significance of their structural conformation are not clearly defined, particularly in relation to reported cross-reactivity with sera from patients with malaria, schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis. Methods To assess the effect of conformation on antigenicity with Sudanese VL sera, antigens rK39 and rK28 were heat-denatured at 95 °C for 10 min and then assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Amino acid sequences of rK39 and rK28 were submitted to NCBI BLASTp to assess homology with Plasmodium, Schistosoma, and Mycobacterium. Results Heat denaturation significantly diminished the antigenicity of rK39 compared to non-denatured antigen (P = 0.001), but not for rK28 (P = 0.275). In BLASTp searches, HASPB sequences from rK28 had similarities with sequences from Plasmodium, encompassing software-predicted B-cell epitopes. Conclusions The antigenicity of rK39 appears to be dependent on structural conformation, whereas that of rK28 depends on linear sequence. HASPB sequence homology with Plasmodium may be responsible for the reported cross-reactivity of rK28 with malaria sera. Further work is warranted to refine the specificity of these antigens. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Simonson
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Tapan Bhattacharyya
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sayda El-Safi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Michael A Miles
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Fleissig Y, Dan-Gur M, Michael-Gayego A, Maly A, Tabib R, Jaffe CL, Korem M. A trespasser from a foreign land? A case report of primary mucosal leishmaniasis. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:212. [PMID: 35241005 PMCID: PMC8892399 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07169-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We report a clinically challenging and unusual case of L. donovani oral mucosal leishmaniasis. CASE PRESENTATION Israeli resident with a former travel to central and North Africa, with no documented or prior cutaneous lesions presented with oral lesions of the maxillary gingiva and the upper lip. A delay in diagnosis and treatment have led to progression of the maxillary gingival lesions towards the hard palatal and the soft palate that could have potentially compromised the upper airway. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis of leishmaniasis in patients with oral lesions and the laboratory workup necessary to appropriately characterize and treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoram Fleissig
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12272, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel. .,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Mary Dan-Gur
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,National Center for Leishmaniasis, Kuvin Center for Study of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ayelet Michael-Gayego
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alexander Maly
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Pathology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rami Tabib
- Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, PO Box 12272, Jerusalem, 9112102, Israel.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Charles L Jaffe
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,National Center for Leishmaniasis, Kuvin Center for Study of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maya Korem
- Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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Zijlstra EE. Precision Medicine in Control of Visceral Leishmaniasis Caused by L. donovani. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:707619. [PMID: 34858865 PMCID: PMC8630745 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.707619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine and precision global health in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have not yet been described and could take into account how all known determinants improve diagnostics and treatment for the individual patient. Precision public health would lead to the right intervention in each VL endemic population for control, based on relevant population-based data, vector exposures, reservoirs, socio-economic factors and other determinants. In anthroponotic VL caused by L. donovani, precision may currently be targeted to the regional level in nosogeographic entities that are defined by the interplay of the circulating parasite, the reservoir and the sand fly vector. From this 5 major priorities arise: diagnosis, treatment, PKDL, asymptomatic infection and transmission. These 5 priorities share the immune responses of infection with L. donovani as an important final common pathway, for which innovative new genomic and non-genomic tools in various disciplines have become available that provide new insights in clinical management and in control. From this, further precision may be defined for groups (e.g. children, women, pregnancy, HIV-VL co-infection), and eventually targeted to the individual level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard E Zijlstra
- Clinical Sciences, Rotterdam Centre for Tropical Medicine, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Hagos DG, Schallig HDFH, Kiros YK, Abdulkadir M, Wolday D. Performance of rapid rk39 tests for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:1166. [PMID: 34789175 PMCID: PMC8600897 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06826-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a severely neglected disease affecting millions of people with high mortality if left untreated. In Ethiopia, the primary laboratory diagnosis of VL is by using an antigen from a 39-amino acid sequence repeat of a kinesin-related (rK39) of leishmania donovani complex (L. donovani), rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). Different rk39 RDT brands are available with very variable performance and studies from Ethiopia showed a very wide range of sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the pooled sensitivity and specificity of rk39 RDT in Ethiopia. Method PUBMED, EMBASE, and other sources were searched using predefined search terms to retrieve all relevant articles from 2007 to 2020. Heterogeneity was assessed by visually inspecting summary receiver operating curves (SROC), Spearman correlation coefficient (rs), Cochran Q test statistics, inconsistency square (I2) and subgroup analysis. The presence and statistical significance of publication bias were assessed by Egger's test at p < 0.05, and all the measurements showed the presence of considerable heterogeneity. Quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) checklists was used to check the qualities of the study. Results A total of 664 articles were retrieved, and of this 12 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Overall pooled sensitivity and specificity of the rk39 RDT to diagnose VL in Ethiopia were 88.0% (95% CI 86.0% to 89.0%) and 84.0% (95% CI 82.0% to 86.0%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the rk39 RDT commercial test kits were DiaMed: 86.9% (95% CI 84.3% to 89.1%) and 82.2% (95% CI 79.3% to 85.0%), and InBios: 80.0% (95% CI 77.0% to 82.8%) and 97.4% (95% CI 95.0% to 98.8%), respectively. Conclusion Referring to our result, rk39 RDT considered an essential rapid diagnostic test for VL diagnosis. Besides to the diagnostic accuracy, the features such as easy to perform, quick (10–20 min), cheap, equipment-free, electric and cold chain free, and result reproducibility, rk39 RDT is advisable to remains in practice as a diagnostic test at least in the remote VL endemic localities till a better test will come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawit Gebreegziabiher Hagos
- College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia. .,Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology, Experimental Parasitology Unit, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Henk D F H Schallig
- Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology, Experimental Parasitology Unit, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yazezew K Kiros
- College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Mahmud Abdulkadir
- College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Dawit Wolday
- College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia
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Tadesse D, Abdissa A, Mekonnen M, Belay T, Hailu A. Antibody and cytokine levels in visceral leishmaniasis patients with varied parasitemia before, during, and after treatment in patients admitted to Arba Minch General Hospital, southern Ethiopia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009632. [PMID: 34351903 PMCID: PMC8370634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease caused by disseminated Leishmania donovani infection which affects almost half a million people annually. Most of the patients are reported from the Indian sub-continent, Eastern Africa and Brazil. In this study, we aimed to determine the levels of antibodies and cytokines in visceral leishmaniasis patients and to examine associations of parasitemia with the clinical states of patients. A prospective study was carried out, enrolling a total of 48 active VL patients who were evaluated before, during different time points and, three months after treatment. Serum cytokine concentrations, antibody levels, parasitemia, laboratory (hematologic and biochemical) measurements, and clinical parameters were assessed. Results Counts of WBC and platelets, and measurements of hemoglobin (Hb) increased during treatment (P ≤ 0.05). Elevated levels of circulating IL-10, IFN-γ, and TGF-β1 were measured before treatment. The observed increase in serum IL-10 remarkably declined within 7 days after the start of treatment. Anti-leishmanial antibody index (AI) was high in all VL patients irrespective of spleen aspirate parasite grade before treatment and at different times during treatment. However, a significant (P ≤ 0.05) decrease of AI was observed 120 days post-treatment. IL-2 serum levels were below the detection limit at all sampling points. Conclusions The present results suggest that IL-10, IFN-γ, and TGF-β1 can be used as markers of active visceral leishmaniasis. In addition, measuring circulating cytokines concentrations, particularly IL-10, in combination with other clinical evaluations, could be used as criteria for the cure. The observation that a high serum concentration of IFN-gamma at baseline was associated with low parasitemia deserves further investigations. Visceral leishmaniasis (also known as kala-azar) is a neglected tropical disease that occurs in widely dispersed areas of the world, including Ethiopia. Parasites in the Leishmania donovani complex are responsible for causing visceral leishmaniasis. The condition is difficult to diagnose and treat. We investigated how the immune response generated during follow-up treatment periods of active VL before, during, and post-treatment was influenced by the presence of different cytokines. It is important to identify possible immunological biomarkers that could be correlated with patients’ clinical and parasitological presentation as well as the response patterns to treatment in VL patients of southwestern Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagimawie Tadesse
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Science, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
- * E-mail: (DT); (AH)
| | - Alemseged Abdissa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Mekidim Mekonnen
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Tariku Belay
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Asrat Hailu
- Departments of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail: (DT); (AH)
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Younis BM, Osman M, Khalil EAG, Santoro F, Furini S, Wiggins R, Keding A, Carraro M, Musa AEA, Abdarahaman MAA, Mandefield L, Bland M, Aebischer T, Gabe R, Layton AM, Lacey CJN, Kaye PM, Musa AM. Safety and immunogenicity of ChAd63-KH vaccine in post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis patients in Sudan. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2366-2377. [PMID: 33781913 PMCID: PMC8261165 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a chronic, stigmatizing skin condition occurring frequently after apparent clinical cure from visceral leishmaniasis. Given an urgent need for new treatments, we conducted a phase IIa safety and immunogenicity trial of ChAd63-KH vaccine in Sudanese patients with persistent PKDL. LEISH2a (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02894008) was an open-label three-phase clinical trial involving sixteen adult and eight adolescent patients with persistent PKDL (median duration, 30 months; range, 6-180 months). Patients received a single intramuscular vaccination of 1 × 1010 viral particles (v.p.; adults only) or 7.5 × 1010 v.p. (adults and adolescents), with primary (safety) and secondary (clinical response and immunogenicity) endpoints evaluated over 42-120 days follow-up. AmBisome was provided to patients with significant remaining disease at their last visit. ChAd63-KH vaccine showed minimal adverse reactions in PKDL patients and induced potent innate and cell-mediated immune responses measured by whole-blood transcriptomics and ELISpot. 7/23 patients (30.4%) monitored to study completion showed >90% clinical improvement, and 5/23 (21.7%) showed partial improvement. A logistic regression model applied to blood transcriptomic data identified immune modules predictive of patients with >90% clinical improvement. A randomized controlled trial to determine whether these clinical responses were vaccine-related and whether ChAd63-KH vaccine has clinical utility is underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brima M Younis
- Department of Clinical Pathology & Immunology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Army Ave., Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mohamed Osman
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Eltahir A G Khalil
- Department of Clinical Pathology & Immunology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Army Ave., Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Francesco Santoro
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Simone Furini
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Rebecca Wiggins
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ada Keding
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Monica Carraro
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Anas E A Musa
- Department of Clinical Pathology & Immunology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Army Ave., Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mujahid A A Abdarahaman
- Department of Clinical Pathology & Immunology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Army Ave., Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Laura Mandefield
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Martin Bland
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Rhian Gabe
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Alison M Layton
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Charles J N Lacey
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Paul M Kaye
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Ahmed M Musa
- Department of Clinical Pathology & Immunology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Army Ave., Khartoum, Sudan.
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Castelli G, Bruno F, Caputo V, Fiorella S, Sammarco I, Lupo T, Migliazzo A, Vitale F, Reale S. Genetic tools discriminate strains of Leishmania infantum isolated from humans and dogs in Sicily, Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008465. [PMID: 32706789 PMCID: PMC7406075 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is one of the most important vector-borne diseases and it represents a serious world health problem affecting millions of people. High levels of Leishmania infections, affecting both humans and animals, are recognized among Italian regions. Among these, Sicily has one of the highest prevalence of Leishmania infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Seventy-eight Leishmania strains isolated from human and animal samples across Sicily, were analyzed for the polymorphic k26-gene and genotypes were assigned according to the size of the PCR products. A multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) approach based on the analysis of 11 independent loci was used to investigate populations structure and genetic diversity of the isolated strains. Six L. infantum reference strains were included in the analysis for comparison. Bayesian clustering analysis of microsatellite data showed that all the isolated strains clustered in two genetically distinct populations, corresponding to human and canine isolates respectively. A further subdivision was observed between the two main groups, giving a good correlation between human strains and their geographic origin, conversely canine population showed a great genetic variability diffused in the territory. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Among the 78 Leishmania isolates, K26 analysis detected 71 samples (91%) as MON-1 zymodeme, confirming it as the predominant strain in Mediterranean area and 7 human samples (9%) as non-MON-1. MLMT gives important insights into the epidemiology of leishmaniases and allows characterization of different strains to a higher resolution than possible with zymodeme typing. Two main populations presented a strong correlation respect to the different hosts, exhibiting a co-circulation of two distinct populations of L. infantum. The population found in infected humans exhibited a correlation with geographic origin. These clusters could represent a geographically restricted population of strains with the same or related genotypes. This study can contribute to an understanding of Leishmania epidemiology, including the spread of reservoirs and sand fly vectors in the different foci of infection, characterizing parasites within the different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germano Castelli
- National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Federica Bruno
- National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valentina Caputo
- Section of Dermatology, Department of Health Promotion, Maternal-Infant, Internal Medicine and Specialization of Excellence “G. D’Alessandro” (PROMISE) University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Santi Fiorella
- Section of Dermatology, Department of Health Promotion, Maternal-Infant, Internal Medicine and Specialization of Excellence “G. D’Alessandro” (PROMISE) University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Ignazio Sammarco
- Tecnologie Diagnostiche Innovative, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lupo
- Tecnologie Diagnostiche Innovative, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonella Migliazzo
- National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Vitale
- National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefano Reale
- Tecnologie Diagnostiche Innovative, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
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Ahuja K, Vats A, Beg MA, Kariyawasam KKGDUL, Chaudhury A, Chatterjee M, Karunaweera ND, Selvapandiyan A. High resolution melting based method for rapid discriminatory diagnosis of co-infecting Leptomonas seymouri in Leishmania donovani-induced leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int 2019; 75:102047. [PMID: 31887394 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite of family Trypanosomatidae, causes fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent and Africa and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka. Another member of Trypanosomatidae, Leptomonas seymouri, resembling Leishmania was discovered recently to co-exist with L. donovani in the clinical samples from India and Sri Lanka and therefore, interfere with its investigations. We earlier described a method for selective elimination of such co-existing L. seymouri from clinical samples of VL exploiting the differential growth of the parasites at 37 °C in vitro. Here, we explored ways for a rapid discriminatory diagnosis using high resolution melting (HRM) curves to detect co-occurring L. seymouri with L. donovani in clinical samples. Initial attempt with kDNA-minicircle (mitochondrial DNA) based HRM did not display different Tm values between L. donovani and L. seymouri. Surprisingly, all of their minicircle sequences co-existed in similar clades in the dendrogram analysis, although the kDNA sequences are known for its species and strain specific variations among the Trypanosomatids. However, an HRM analysis that targets the HSP70 gene successfully recognized the presence of L. seymouri in the clinical isolates. This discovery will facilitate rapid diagnosis of L. seymouri and further investigations in to this elusive organism, including the clinico-pathological implications of its co-existence with L. donovani in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Ahuja
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India; Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Abhishek Vats
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi 110060, India
| | - Mirza Adil Beg
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - K K G D U L Kariyawasam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Ashok Chaudhury
- Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Mitali Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata 700020, India
| | - Nadira D Karunaweera
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
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Rehman K, Walochnik J, Mischlinger J, Alassil B, Allan R, Ramharter M. Leishmaniasis in Northern Syria during Civil War. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 24:1973-1981. [PMID: 30334717 PMCID: PMC6199995 DOI: 10.3201/eid2411.172146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the onset of the ongoing civil war in Syria, the governmental surveillance system for leishmaniasis has lost access to provinces of northern Syria. The MENTOR Initiative, an international not-for-profit organization, was commissioned to implement an integrated leishmaniasis control program, providing an opportunity to reassess the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in northern Syria. Epidemiologic data and biologic samples for molecular species diagnostics were collected from collaborating local health centers. Incidence peaked in March 2015 at 7,743 estimated monthly cases. High levels of transmission were observed in traditional endemic regions but extended to previously hypoendemic regions, such as Al-Raqqa and Al-Hasakah. Incidence decreased to 3,209 in July 2015. Data indicate that the prewar trend of increasing incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis accelerated during the beginning of armed conflict but declined after implementation of the comprehensive control program by the MENTOR Initiative. Molecular analysis revealed a spectrum of Leishmania species and sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Gebremichael D. Zoonotic impact and epidemiological changes of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. Open Vet J 2018; 8:432-440. [PMID: 30538935 PMCID: PMC6258520 DOI: 10.4314/ovj.v8i4.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the growing public health challenges in Ethiopia and estimated over 7,000 and 50,000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) per year, respectively. The aim of the review is to address zoonotic impact and epidemiological changes of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. VL is caused by L. donovani and it is endemic in many parts of the country with one third of the country’s landmass is highly suitable for VL. CL is principally caused by L. aethiopica. CL is endemic and widespread in the highland of Ethiopia. Northern lowland foci are Humera and Metema plains in the Tigray and Amhara regional states constitute the main VL endemic areas in the country, contributing over 60% of the total burden. The southern foci are the south-western savannah, and the south-eastern semi-arid lowlands which account for approximately 20 % of the total VL burden in Ethiopia. Leishmaniasis is a serious zoonotic disease in Ethiopia with more reservoir hosts maintaining the disease. Dogs and hyraxes are the main reservoir hosts for visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the country, respectively. Epidemiological changes of leishmaniasis may relate to environmental changes and expansion of mega projects such as irrigations and sugar cane factories, knowledge and socio-economic factors, development of new settlements, migration of peoples and HIV/AIDS co-infection. Expansions of mega projects such as sugar factories and irrigations are suitable for reproduction of stray dogs, rodents, wild canids and vectors. VL is one of the major challenges to prevent and control in the endemic areas of the country. Therefore, new research should be imperative, especially in the mega projects to design strategic control and prevention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawit Gebremichael
- Veterinary Public Health, Aksum University Shire Campus, College of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Shire, Ethiopia
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14
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Jaber HT, Hailu A, Pratlong F, Lami P, Bastien P, Jaffe CL. Analysis of genetic polymorphisms and tropism in East African Leishmania donovani by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism and kDNA minicircle sequencing. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 65:80-90. [PMID: 30016714 PMCID: PMC6218636 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe form of leishmaniasis, is caused by Leishmania donovani. In addition to fatal VL, these parasites also cause skin diseases in immune-competent and -suppressed people, post-kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) and HIV/VL co-infections, respectively. Genetic polymorphism in 36 Ethiopian and Sudanese L. donovani strains from VL, PKDL and HIV/VL patients was examined using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), kDNA minicircle sequencing and Southern blotting. Strains were isolated from different patient tissues: in VL from lymph node, spleen or bone marrow; and in HIV/VL from skin, spleen or bone marrow. When VL and PKDL strains from the same region in Sudan were examined by Southern blotting using a DNA probe to the L. donovani 28S rRNA gene only minor differences were observed. kDNA sequence analysis distributed the strains in no particular order among four clusters (A - D), while AFLP analysis grouped the strains according to geographical origin into two major clades, Southern Ethiopia (SE) and Sudan/Northern Ethiopia (SD/NE). Strains in the latter clade were further divided into subpopulations by zymodeme, geography and year of isolation, but not by clinical symptoms. However, skin isolates showed significantly (p < 0.0001) fewer polymorphic AFLP fragments (average 10 strains = 348.6 ± 8.1) than VL strains (average 26 strains = 383.5 ± 3.8).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan T Jaber
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Asrat Hailu
- School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Francine Pratlong
- Department of Parasitology-Mycology, National Reference Centre for Leishmanioses, Academic Hospital of Montpellier, France; University of Montpellier, CNRS 5290/IRD 224 "MiVEGEC", Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Lami
- Department of Parasitology-Mycology, National Reference Centre for Leishmanioses, Academic Hospital of Montpellier, France; University of Montpellier, CNRS 5290/IRD 224 "MiVEGEC", Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Bastien
- Department of Parasitology-Mycology, National Reference Centre for Leishmanioses, Academic Hospital of Montpellier, France; University of Montpellier, CNRS 5290/IRD 224 "MiVEGEC", Montpellier, France
| | - Charles L Jaffe
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
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15
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Rugna G, Carra E, Bergamini F, Calzolari M, Salvatore D, Corpus F, Gennari W, Baldelli R, Fabbi M, Natalini S, Vitale F, Varani S, Merialdi G. Multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) reveals host-related population structure in Leishmania infantum from northeastern Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006595. [PMID: 29975697 PMCID: PMC6057669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is an ongoing health problem in southern Europe, where dogs are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. Current data point to a northward spread of VL and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in Italy, with new foci in northern regions previously regarded as non-endemic. Methodology/Principal findings Multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) was performed to investigate genetic diversity and population structure of L. infantum on 55 samples from infected humans, dogs and sand flies of the E-R region between 2013 and 2017. E-R samples were compared with 10 L. infantum samples from VL cases in other Italian regions (extra E-R) and with 52 strains within the L. donovani complex. Data displayed significant microsatellite polymorphisms with low allelic heterozygosity. Forty-one unique and eight repeated MLMT profiles were recognized among the L. infantum samples from E-R, and ten unique MLMT profiles were assigned to the extra E-R samples. Bayesian analysis assigned E-R samples to two distinct populations, with further sub-structuring within each of them; all CanL samples belonged to one population, genetically related to Mediterranean MON-1 strains, while all but one VL cases as well as the isolate from the sand fly Phlebotomus perfiliewi fell under the second population. Conversely, VL samples from other Italian regions proved to be genetically similar to strains circulating in dogs. Conclusions/Significance A peculiar epidemiological situation was observed in northeastern Italy, with the co-circulation of two distinct populations of L. infantum; one population mainly detected in dogs and the other population detected in humans and in a sand fly. While the classical cycle of CanL in Italy fits well into the data obtained for the first population, the population found in infected humans exhibits a different cycle, probably not involving a canine reservoir. This study can contribute to a better understanding of the population structure of L. infantum circulating in northeastern Italy, thus providing useful epidemiologic information for public health authorities. Visceral leishmaniasis is a sand fly-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Leishmania infantum is the only parasitic species circulating in Italy and dogs are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. In this study, 55 L. infantum strains obtained from humans, dogs and sand flies from the Emiliana-Romagna (E-R) region, northeastern Italy, were assessed using multilocus microsatellite typing, a tool applied for population genetic studies. Results were compared with those obtained from 10 samples of visceral leishmaniasis cases occurring in other Italian regions and with 52 strains of the L. donovani complex from other foci of leishmaniasis. Our genetic analysis revealed that canine and human L. infantum strains from the E-R region were separated in two distinct populations; all samples obtained from dogs belonged to one population, while all but one human samples as well as a sand fly sample fell under another population. Samples from patients with visceral leishmaniasis from other Italian regions proved to be genetically similar to strains circulating in dogs. Our findings raise questions on the role of dogs as main reservoirs for human visceral leishmaniasis in the investigated area of northeastern Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Rugna
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Elena Carra
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Federica Bergamini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Salvatore
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesco Corpus
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - William Gennari
- Dipartimento Integrati Interaziendali Medicina di Laboratorio e Anatomia Patologica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Policlinico di Modena, Italy
| | - Raffaella Baldelli
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Massimo Fabbi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvano Natalini
- Department of Animal Health, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Vitale
- National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefania Varani
- Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merialdi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia-Romagna, Brescia, Italy
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Mortazavidehkordi N, Fallah A, Abdollahi A, Kia V, Khanahmad H, Najafabadi ZG, Hashemi N, Estiri B, Roudbari Z, Najafi A, Farjadfar A, Hejazi SH. A lentiviral vaccine expressing KMP11-HASPB fusion protein increases immune response to Leishmania major in BALB/C. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2265-2273. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5915-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Kuang Z, Zhang C, Pang H, Ma Y. A rapid high-resolution melting method for differentiation of Leishmania species targeting lack gene. Acta Trop 2018; 178:103-106. [PMID: 29107571 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this research is to verify that if lack gene can be used for differentiation of Leishmania under HRM assay. METHODS Two specific primers were designed targeting polymorphic sites on the lack gene sequence. DNA from promastigotes of six species of Leishmania based on reference strains were tested following a HRM protocol. We also tested ten Chinese isolates in blind to validate our method. RESULTS Combined with amplicon of the two primers, the six reference strains can be easily discriminated without the effect of initial concentration of DNA templates. Ten Chinese isolates detected by our HRM method resulted in full accord with the standard identification results in previous study. CONCLUSION HRM is a rapid and reproducible method to discriminate different Leishmania species and lack gene is a potential novel biological characteristic for easy differentiation of Leishmania isolates in China.
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18
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Zackay A, Cotton JA, Sanders M, Hailu A, Nasereddin A, Warburg A, Jaffe CL. Genome wide comparison of Ethiopian Leishmania donovani strains reveals differences potentially related to parasite survival. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007133. [PMID: 29315303 PMCID: PMC5777657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani is the main cause of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in East Africa. Differences between northern Ethiopia/Sudan (NE) and southern Ethiopia (SE) in ecology, vectors, and patient sensitivity to drug treatment have been described, however the relationship between differences in parasite genotype between these two foci and phenotype is unknown. Whole genomic sequencing (WGS) was carried out for 41 L. donovani strains and clones from VL and VL/HIV co-infected patients in NE (n = 28) and SE (n = 13). Chromosome aneuploidy was observed in all parasites examined with each isolate exhibiting a unique karyotype. Differences in chromosome ploidy or karyotype were not correlated with the geographic origin of the parasites. However, correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and geographic origin was seen for 38/41 isolates, separating the NE and SE parasites into two large groups. SNP restricted to NE and SE groups were associated with genes involved in viability and parasite resistance to drugs. Unique copy number variation (CNV) were also associated with NE and SE parasites, respectively. One striking example is the folate transporter (FT) family genes (LdBPK_100390, LdBPK_100400 and LdBPK_100410) on chromosome 10 that are single copy in all 13 SE isolates, but either double copy or higher in 39/41 NE isolates (copy number 2-4). High copy number (= 4) was also found for one Sudanese strain examined. This was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for LdBPK_100400, the L. donovani FT1 transporter homolog. Good correlation (p = 0.005) between FT copy number and resistance to methotrexate (0.5 mg/ml MTX) was also observed with the haploid SE strains examined showing higher viability than the NE strains at this concentration. Our results emphasize the advantages of whole genome analysis to shed light on vital parasite processes in Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Zackay
- Dept Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - James A. Cotton
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Mandy Sanders
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Asrat Hailu
- Dept Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abedelmajeed Nasereddin
- Dept Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alon Warburg
- Dept Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Charles L. Jaffe
- Dept Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, IMRIC, Hebrew University–Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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Rugna G, Carra E, Corpus F, Calzolari M, Salvatore D, Bellini R, Di Francesco A, Franceschini E, Bruno A, Poglayen G, Varani S, Vitale F, Merialdi G. Distinct Leishmania infantum Strains Circulate in Humans and Dogs in the Emilia-Romagna Region, Northeastern Italy. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:409-415. [PMID: 28301296 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human leishmaniasis is an emerging problem in Italy and is on the increase in the Emilia-Romagna region, northeastern part of the country. Nevertheless, studies dealing with the molecular characterization of Leishmania spp. circulating in these areas are limited. In the present work, we explored the genetic polymorphism of Leishmania isolates from 28 cases of canine leishmaniasis and three cases of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which occurred in 2013-2014 in the Emilia-Romagna region. The characterization was carried out in comparison with nine human isolates of Leishmania from other VL endemic Italian regions and two reference strains. Nucleic acid from 31 Leishmania-positive phlebotomine sandfly pools, sampled in 2012-2013 in the Emilia-Romagna region, were also evaluated. DNA amplification and sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 and of a repetitive nuclear region on chromosome 31 were carried out for genotyping. Two size polymorphic targets were also analyzed by PCR, the cpb E/F-gene and the k26-gene. Altogether, the analysis showed the circulation of different Leishmania infantum genotypes in the Emilia-Romagna region: two genotypes found in dogs from public kennels were similar to VL isolates from other Italian regions, whereas a third genotype was detected in VL cases of the Emilia-Romagna region and in all but one of the sandfly pools. The combined molecular tools applied in this study can constitute a helpful support for parasite tracking (e.g., in outbreak investigations) and for a better understanding of the epidemiological evolution of leishmaniasis in northeastern Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Rugna
- 1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Carra
- 1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesco Corpus
- 1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- 1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Salvatore
- 2 Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna , Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- 3 Medical and Veterinary Entomology Department, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G. Nicoli" IAEA Collaborating Center , Crevalcore, Italy
| | | | - Erica Franceschini
- 4 Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria , Policlinico of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Antonella Bruno
- 5 Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo , S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Poglayen
- 2 Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna , Ozzano Emilia, Italy
| | - Stefania Varani
- 6 Unit of Microbiology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine, St. Orsola Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna , Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Vitale
- 7 National Reference Center for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.) , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merialdi
- 1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
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Mortazavidehkordi N, Farjadfar A, Khanahmad H, Ghayour Najafabadi Z, Hashemi N, Fallah A, Najafi A, Kia V, Hejazi SH. Evaluation of a novel lentiviral vaccine expressing KMP11-HASPB fusion protein againstLeishmania infantumin BALB/c mice. Parasite Immunol 2016; 38:670-677. [DOI: 10.1111/pim.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Mortazavidehkordi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; Isfahan Iran
| | - A. Farjadfar
- Biotechnology Research Center; Mede Bioeconomy Company; Tehran Iran
| | - H. Khanahmad
- Department of Genetics; Faculty of Medicine; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; Isfahan Iran
| | - Z. Ghayour Najafabadi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; Isfahan Iran
| | - N. Hashemi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; Isfahan Iran
| | - A. Fallah
- Systems and Synthetic Biology Group; Mede Bioeconomy Company; Tehran Iran
| | - A. Najafi
- Department of Immunology; Pasteur Institute of Iran; Tehran Iran
| | - V. Kia
- Department of Medical Biotechnology; Faculty of Medicine; Zanjan University of Medical Sciences; Zanjan Iran
| | - S. H. Hejazi
- Skin Diseases and Leishmaniais Research Center; Department of Parasitology & Mycology; School of Medicine; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences; Isfahan Iran
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Zampieri RA, Laranjeira-Silva MF, Muxel SM, Stocco de Lima AC, Shaw JJ, Floeter-Winter LM. High Resolution Melting Analysis Targeting hsp70 as a Fast and Efficient Method for the Discrimination of Leishmania Species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004485. [PMID: 26928050 PMCID: PMC4771719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a large spectrum of clinical manifestations known as Leishmaniases. These diseases are increasingly important public health problems in many countries both within and outside endemic regions. Thus, an accurate differential diagnosis is extremely relevant for understanding epidemiological profiles and for the administration of the best therapeutic protocol. Methods/Principal Findings Exploring the High Resolution Melting (HRM) dissociation profiles of two amplicons using real time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) targeting heat-shock protein 70 coding gene (hsp70) revealed differences that allowed the discrimination of genomic DNA samples of eight Leishmania species found in the Americas, including Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi, L. (L.) amazonensis, L. (L.) mexicana, L. (Viannia) lainsoni, L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (V.) guyanensis, L. (V.) naiffi and L. (V.) shawi, and three species found in Eurasia and Africa, including L. (L.) tropica, L. (L.) donovani and L. (L.) major. In addition, we tested DNA samples obtained from standard promastigote culture, naturally infected phlebotomines, experimentally infected mice and clinical human samples to validate the proposed protocol. Conclusions/Significance HRM analysis of hsp70 amplicons is a fast and robust strategy that allowed for the detection and discrimination of all Leishmania species responsible for the Leishmaniases in Brazil and Eurasia/Africa with high sensitivity and accuracy. This method could detect less than one parasite per reaction, even in the presence of host DNA. The different clinical forms of the Leishmaniases range from cutaneous to visceral infections and are caused by organisms belonging to the genus Leishmania. Controversy over the validity of different molecular methods to correctly identify a species hinders the association of a given species with different clinical forms, complicating the prognosis and the development of suitable treatment protocols. A correct identification leads to a better understanding of the action and consequent development of new drugs and immunological reactions. It also provides important information about the relationship of each species with its hosts (humans, animal reservoirs and sandflies) in different geographical areas and ecological situations, helping to design control strategies. Today, PCR is the most commonly used method for Leishmania identification, but even though several targets have been described, no simple and direct protocol has emerged. In this paper, we coupled hsp70 real-time PCR with the determination of amplicon melting profiles in order to explore polymorphic regions by HRM analysis. This methodology yielded discriminatory melting temperature (Tm) values for Brazilian and Eurasian/African Leishmania species. The protocol has proven to be 100% reliable with both clinical and experimental samples. The major advantage of the presently described method is that it is simple, less expensive, highly sensitive and easily automated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Andrade Zampieri
- Physiology Department, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Sandra Marcia Muxel
- Physiology Department, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Jeffrey Jon Shaw
- Parasitology Department, Biomedical Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Gadisa E, Tsegaw T, Abera A, Elnaiem DE, den Boer M, Aseffa A, Jorge A. Eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:381. [PMID: 26187584 PMCID: PMC4506599 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0987-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, Kala-azar) is one of the growing public health challenges in Ethiopia with over 3.2 million people at risk and estimated up to 4000 new cases per year. Historically, VL was known as the diseases of the lowlanders; in the lower and upper Kola agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. The 2005–07 out breaks in highlands of Libo Kemkem and Fogera, in the Woina Degas, that affected thousands and claimed the life of hundreds misdiagnosed as drug resistance malaria marked that VL is no more the problem of the lowlanders. The Kola (lower and upper) and the Woina Dega are the most productive agroecological zones, supporting both the ongoing and planned expansions of large or small scale agriculture and/or agriculture based industries. Thus, the (re)emergence of VL is not only a public health and social problem but also have a direct implication on the country’s economy and further development. Thus is high time for its control and/or elimination. Yet, the available data seem incomplete to plan for a cost-effective and efficient VL control strategy: there is a need to update data on vector behaviour in specific ecosystems and the roles of domestic animals need to be ascertained. The effectiveness and social acceptability of available vector control tools need be evaluated. There is a need for identifying animal reservoir(s), or establish the absence of zoonosis in Ethiopia. The planning of prevention of (re)emergence and spread of VL to areas adjacent to endemic foci need be supported with information from spatio-temporal mapping. In affected communities, available data showed that their knowledge about VL is generally very low. Thus, well designed studies to identify risk factors, as well as better tools for social mobilization with the understanding of their knowledge, aptitude and practice towards VL are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Teshome Tsegaw
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adugna Abera
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Dia-Eldin Elnaiem
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (for KalaCORE consortium), 1Backbone Rd, Princess Anne, MD, 21853, USA
| | | | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alvar Jorge
- Visceral Leishmaniasis Program, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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23
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Rohousova I, Talmi-Frank D, Kostalova T, Polanska N, Lestinova T, Kassahun A, Yasur-Landau D, Maia C, King R, Votypka J, Jaffe CL, Warburg A, Hailu A, Volf P, Baneth G. Exposure to Leishmania spp. and sand flies in domestic animals in northwestern Ethiopia. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:360. [PMID: 26152578 PMCID: PMC4495613 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0976-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani is considered an anthroponosis; however, Leishmania-infected animals have been increasingly reported in L. donovani foci, and the role of these animals as reservoirs for human L. donovani infection remains unclear. Methods We conducted a study of domestic animals (goats, sheep, cows, dogs, and donkeys) in three L. donovani foci in northwestern Ethiopia. Domestic animals were screened for Leishmania DNA and for anti-L. donovani IgG. Serum anti-sand fly saliva antibodies were used as a marker of exposure to the vector sand fly, Phlebotomus orientalis. Results Of 546 animals tested, 32 (5.9 %) were positive for Leishmania DNA, with positive animals identified among all species studied. Sequencing indicated that the animals were infected with parasites of the L. donovani complex but could not distinguish between L. infantum and L. donovani. A total of 18.9 % of the animals were seropositive for anti-L. donovani IgG, and 23.1 % of the animals were seropositive for anti-P. orientalis saliva IgG, with the highest seroprevalence observed in dogs and sheep. A positive correlation was found between anti-P. orientalis saliva and anti-L. donovani IgGs in cows, goats, and sheep. Conclusions The detection of L. donovani complex DNA in the blood of domestic animals, the reported seroprevalence to the L. donovani antigen, and the widespread exposure to sand fly saliva among domestic animals indicate that they are frequently exposed to Leishmania infection and are likely to participate in the epidemiology of Leishmania infection, either as potential blood sources for sand flies or possibly as parasite hosts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0976-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Rohousova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Dalit Talmi-Frank
- School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Tatiana Kostalova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Nikola Polanska
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Aysheshm Kassahun
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Daniel Yasur-Landau
- School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Carla Maia
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic. .,Medical Parasitology Unit, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Roni King
- Israel Nature and Parks Authority, 3 Am Ve'Olamo Street, Jerusalem, 95463, Israel.
| | - Jan Votypka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Charles L Jaffe
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
| | - Alon Warburg
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
| | - Asrat Hailu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Gad Baneth
- School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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Ravoet J, Schwarz RS, Descamps T, Yañez O, Tozkar CO, Martin-Hernandez R, Bartolomé C, De Smet L, Higes M, Wenseleers T, Schmid-Hempel R, Neumann P, Kadowaki T, Evans JD, de Graaf DC. Differential diagnosis of the honey bee trypanosomatids Crithidia mellificae and Lotmaria passim. J Invertebr Pathol 2015; 130:21-7. [PMID: 26146231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids infecting honey bees have been poorly studied with molecular methods until recently. After the description of Crithidia mellificae (Langridge and McGhee, 1967) it took about forty years until molecular data for honey bee trypanosomatids became available and were used to identify and describe a new trypanosomatid species from honey bees, Lotmaria passim (Evans and Schwarz, 2014). However, an easy method to distinguish them without sequencing is not yet available. Research on the related bumble bee parasites Crithidia bombi and Crithidia expoeki revealed a fragment length polymorphism in the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), which enabled species discrimination. In search of fragment length polymorphisms for differential diagnostics in honey bee trypanosomatids, we studied honey bee trypanosomatid cell cultures of C. mellificae and L. passim. This research resulted in the identification of fragment length polymorphisms in ITS1 and ITS1-2 markers, which enabled us to develop a diagnostic method to differentiate both honey bee trypanosomatid species without the need for sequencing. However, the amplification success of the ITS1 marker depends probably on the trypanosomatid infection level. Further investigation confirmed that L. passim is the dominant species in Belgium, Japan and Switzerland. We found C. mellificae only rarely in Belgian honey bee samples, but not in honey bee samples from other countries. C. mellificae was also detected in mason bees (Osmia bicornis and Osmia cornuta) besides in honey bees. Further, the characterization and comparison of additional markers from L. passim strain SF (published as C. mellificae strain SF) and a Belgian honey bee sample revealed very low divergence in the 18S rRNA, ITS1-2, 28S rRNA and cytochrome b sequences. Nevertheless, a variable stretch was observed in the gp63 virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgen Ravoet
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Ryan S Schwarz
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East, Beltsville, United States
| | - Tine Descamps
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cansu Ozge Tozkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Carolina Bartolomé
- Medicina Xenómica, CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Xenómica Comparada de Parásitos Humanos, IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lina De Smet
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mariano Higes
- Bee Pathology Laboratory, Centro Apícola Regional, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Regula Schmid-Hempel
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East, Beltsville, United States
| | - Dirk C de Graaf
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Kassahun A, Sadlova J, Dvorak V, Kostalova T, Rohousova I, Frynta D, Aghova T, Yasur-Landau D, Lemma W, Hailu A, Baneth G, Warburg A, Volf P, Votypka J. Detection of Leishmania donovani and L. tropica in Ethiopian wild rodents. Acta Trop 2015; 145:39-44. [PMID: 25700710 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human visceral (VL, also known as Kala-azar) and cutaneous (CL) leishmaniasis are important infectious diseases affecting countries in East Africa that remain endemic in several regions of Ethiopia. The transmission and epidemiology of the disease is complicated due to the complex life cycle of the parasites and the involvement of various Leishmania spp., sand fly vectors, and reservoir animals besides human hosts. Particularly in East Africa, the role of animals as reservoirs for human VL remains unclear. Isolation of Leishmania donovani parasites from naturally infected rodents has been reported in several endemic countries; however, the status of rodents as reservoirs in Ethiopia remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated natural Leishmania infections in rodents. Animals were trapped in 41 localities of endemic and non-endemic areas in eight geographical regions of Ethiopia and DNA was isolated from spleens of 586 rodents belonging to 21 genera and 38 species. Leishmania infection was evaluated by real-time PCR of kinetoplast (k)DNA and confirmed by sequencing of the PCR products. Subsequently, parasite species identification was confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer one (ITS1) gene. Out of fifty (8.2%) rodent specimens positive for Leishmania kDNA-PCR and sequencing, 10 were subsequently identified by sequencing of the ITS1 showing that five belonged to the L. donovani complex and five to L. tropica. Forty nine kDNA-positive rodents were found in the endemic localities of southern and eastern Ethiopia while only one was identified from northwestern Ethiopia. Moreover, all the ten ITS1-positive rodents were captured in areas where human leishmaniasis cases have been reported and potential sand fly vectors occur. Our findings suggest the eco-epidemiological importance of rodents in these foci of leishmaniasis and indicate that rodents are likely to play a role in the transmission of leishmaniasis in Ethiopia, possibly as reservoir hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysheshm Kassahun
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Jovana Sadlova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Vit Dvorak
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Tatiana Kostalova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Iva Rohousova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Tatiana Aghova
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 675 02 Studenec 122, Czech Republic.
| | - Daniel Yasur-Landau
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Wessenseged Lemma
- Department of Zoological Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Asrat Hailu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Gad Baneth
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
| | - Alon Warburg
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Votypka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
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26
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Lombardo G, Pennisi MG, Lupo T, Chicharro C, Solano-Gallego L. Papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infantum infection in seventeen dogs: diagnostic features, extent of the infection and treatment outcome. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:120. [PMID: 24661822 PMCID: PMC3987822 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Laia Solano-Gallego
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animal, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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Chicharro C, Llanes-Acevedo IP, García E, Nieto J, Moreno J, Cruz I. Molecular typing of Leishmania infantum isolates from a leishmaniasis outbreak in Madrid, Spain, 2009 to 2012. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 18:20545. [PMID: 23929179 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es2013.18.30.20545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is endemic in south-west Europe. Recent data point to the spread and (re-)emergence of this disease in previously endemic and non-endemic European countries. A recent example is the urban community outbreak of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in the south-west of Madrid autonomous community, Spain, which began on 1 July 2009. A total of 446 cases associated to this outbreak were reported up to 31 December 2012. We show molecular typing data for 73 Leishmania infantum isolates obtained from January 2008 to July 2012 from different areas of Madrid, including those affected by the outbreak. Seven different genotypes were identified by combining data from two targets: the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS)-1 and -2 and the haspb (k26) gene. The results contribute to a better understanding of the parasite population circulating in the region, and indicate that most of the outbreak-associated isolates (22/31) were infected by parasites with the same combined genotype. Additional data from 82 L. infantum isolates typed as either MON-1 or MON-24 by isoenzyme analysis indicate that far from concluding that the outbreak was caused by a 'new' emerging genotype, further molecular typing-based surveillance studies are required to better understand the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Chicharro
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Leishmaniasis, Servicio de Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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28
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Cunha J, Carrillo E, Sánchez C, Cruz I, Moreno J, Cordeiro-da-Silva A. Characterization of the biology and infectivity of Leishmania infantum viscerotropic and dermotropic strains isolated from HIV+ and HIV- patients in the murine model of visceral leishmaniasis. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:122. [PMID: 23622683 PMCID: PMC3649922 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases with a variety of clinical manifestations. The form of the disease is highly dependent on the infective Leishmania species and the immunological status of the host. The infectivity of the parasite strain also plays an important role in the progression of the infection. The aim of this work is to understand the influence of the natural infectivity of Leishmania strains in the outcome of visceral leishmaniasis. METHODS In this study we have characterized four strains of L. infantum in terms of molecular typing, in vitro cultivation and differentiation. Two strains were isolated from HIV+ patients with visceral leishmaniasis (Bibiano and E390M), one strain was isolated from a cutaneous lesion in an immunocompetent patient (HL) and another internal reference strain causative of visceral leishmaniasis (ST) also from an immunocompetent patient was used for comparison. For this objective, we have compared their virulence by in vitro and in vivo infectivity in a murine model of visceral leishmaniasis. RESULTS Molecular typing unraveled a new k26 sequence attributed to MON-284 zymodeme and allowed the generation of a molecular signature for the identification of each strain. In vitro cultivation enabled the production of promastigotes with comparable growth curves and metacyclogenesis development. The HL strain was the most infective, showing the highest parasite loads in vitro that were corroborated with the in vivo assays, 6 weeks post-infection in BALB/c mice. The two strains isolated from HIV+ patients, both belonging to two different zymodemes, revealed different kinetics of infection. CONCLUSION Differences in in vitro and in vivo infectivity found in the murine model were then attributed to intrinsic characteristics of each strain. This work is supported by other studies that present the parasite's inherent features as factors for the multiplicity of clinical manifestations and severity of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Cunha
- Parasite Disease Group, Unit of Infection and Immunity, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, Porto, 4150-180, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar and Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eugenia Carrillo
- WHO Collaborating Center for Leishmaniasis, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Sánchez
- WHO Collaborating Center for Leishmaniasis, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Israel Cruz
- WHO Collaborating Center for Leishmaniasis, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Moreno
- WHO Collaborating Center for Leishmaniasis, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Parasite Disease Group, Unit of Infection and Immunity, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, Porto, 4150-180, Portugal
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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