Identification of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Agents in Four Geographical Regions of Khuzestan Province Using Nested PCR

Abstract

Background: Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major are the main causes of cutaneous leishmaniasis in endemic regions of Iran. Objectives: The aim of this study was the identification of cutaneous leishmaniasis agents in Khuzestan province located southwest of Iran. Patients and Methods: 146 samples were collected from the lesions of 146 individuals including 67 (59.59% ) male and 59 ( 40.41% ) female with cutaneous leishmaniasis. The samples were then delivered to Iran-Zamin diagnostic laboratory and smeared on slides, stained with Wright's eosin methylene blue stain and examined microscopically and graded from 1+ to 4+. DNA was extracted from the slides and the identification of cutaneous leishmaniasis agents was performed using Nested PCR with the primers of CSB1XR, CSB2XF, LIR and 13Z. Results: 138 (94.5%) out of 146 cases of four regions were L. major and 8 (5.5%) were L. tropica. 57.97% of L. major cases were male and 42.03% were female. 87.5% of L. tropica were male and 12.5% were female. The maximum number of L. tropica cases was found in the northern region (8.16%) and the minimum was found in the western region (3.22%). 96.78% of L. major cases belonged to the western region of Khuzestan. Conclusions: L. major is the main species responsible for cutaneous leishmsniasis in four geographical regions of Khuzestan province southwestern of Iran and Nested PCR can be used for diagnosis and Leishmania species identification.

The Geographical Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Causative Agents in Iran and Its Neighboring Countries, A Review

“…Khuzestan province is endemic for ZCL and had an overall prevalence rate of 37.39/100,000. Recently, L. tropica has been detected in a minority of patients with prevalence rates ranging from 3 to 10%, including in the ancient city of Shush (10% rate) in northern Khuzestan (50,51). Data in 2013 from the mountainous province of Lorestan showed a predominance of L. tropica; overall, 72% (45/64) of local CL patients were infected by L. tropica, notably from Poldokhtar (37/43, 86%) and Kouhdasht (4/5, 80%).…”

Genotyping of Causative Agents of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Patients Using PCR-RFLP Method in Dasht-e-Azadegan County, Southwest of Iran, in 2016

“…Another molecular study used real-time PCR and melt-curve analysis by Kinetoplast DNA primers on 102 archived slides, emphasizing L. major as the predominant strain (93.75%), based on our results in the southwest of Iran (30). A nested-PCR approach was also performed on 146 clinical samples in four geographical regions of the province by Maraghi et al, again with L. major as the prevailed species (94.5%), followed by L. tropica (5.5%) (31). In addition, a mini-exon PCR-RFLP study was conducted on 14 clinical cutaneous lesions of suspected patients from a different region of the province; the results identified 12 cases as L. major and only two cases as L. tropica.…”

Detection of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Based on ITS1 Gene by PCR-RFLP Technique

“…In the current study, the amplification of ITS1 gene fragment with 350 bp showed clear band when electrophoresis on 2% agarose gel. Belal et al, (2012) (Maraghi et al, 2013).…”