The genus Leishmania

Leishmania
• The genus Leishmania is named after Sir William
Leishman, who discovered the flagellate protozoa causing
kala-azar, the Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL).
• All members of the genus Leishmania are obligate
intracellular parasites that pass their life cycle in two hosts:
(1) The mammalian host
(2) The insect vector, female sandfly.

In humans and other mammalian hosts, they multiply within macrophages, in which they
occur exclusively in the amastigote form, having an ovoid body containing a nucleus and
kinetoplast.
In the sandfly, they occur in the promastigote form, with a spindle-shaped body and a
single flagellum arising from anterior end.
 Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani
History
(1900) In the same year, Donovan also reported the same parasite
from spleen smear of patients from Madras.
Hence the name Leishmania donovani was given to the parasite.

Epidemiology
• Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is a major public health problem in many
parts of world.
• According to th World Health Organization (WHO) a total of 50 000 cases of VL
occur every year.
• Of these new cases, 90% are found in the Indian subcontinent and Sudan and
Brazil.
• The disease occurs in endemic, epidemic, or sporadic forms.
• Major epidemics of the disease are currently found in India, Brazil and Sudan.
The disease affects the low socioeconomic group of
people.
Overcrowding, poor ventilation and collection of
organic material inside house facilitate its transmission.
Across the tropics, three different diseases are caused
by various species of genus Leishmania.
Leishmaniasis.

1.Visceral leishmaniasis(VL): The species L. donovani complex infecting internal

organs (liver, spleen and bone marrow) of human is the causative parasite.
2. Cutaneous leishmaniasis(CL): It is caused by the
The species :
• L. tropica complex,
• L. aethiopica,
• L. major
• L. Mexicana complex
• 3. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis(MCL): It is caused by the
L. braziliensis complex.
 Leishmaniasis. Ecological types
• The epidemiology and clinical features of VL and the ecology of the parasite are very
different in different geographical areas.
Indian visceral leishmaniasis: Caused by L. donovani producing the anthroponotic disease
kala-azar and its sequel PKDL. (Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis)
• The disease is not zoonotic; human - only host and reservoir.
• Vector is the sandfly, Phlebotomus argentipes.
Mediterranean leishmaniasis: Middle Eastern leishmaniasis caused by L. infantum affecting
mostly young children.
• It is a zoonotic disease; the reservoir being dog and wild canines such as foxes, jackals
and wolves.
• Vectors are P. pernicious and P. papatasit.
American (New World) visceral leishmaniasis: Caused by L. chagasi.
• It is present is most parts of Latin America and resembles the disease caused by L.
infantum.
• The main vector is Lutzomyia longipalpis.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani
Habitat
The amastigote (LD body) of L. donovani is found in the reticuloendothelial system.
They are found mostly within the macrophages in the spleen, liver, bone marrow and less
often in other locations such as skin, intestinal mucosa and mesenteric lymph nodes

Morphology: The parasite exists in two forms:

1. Amastigote form: In humans and other mammals.
2. Promastigote form: In the sandfly and in artificial
culture.
• Amastigote: The amastigote form (LD body) is an ovoid
or rounded cell, about 2-4 um in size.
• It is typically intracellular, being found inside
macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, or endothelial
cells.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani AMASTIGOTE
• Smears stained with Leishman, Giemsa, or Wright’s
stain show a pale blue cytoplasm enclosed by a
limiting membrane.
• The large oval nucleus is stained red.
• Lying at the right angles to nucleus, is the red
or purple-stained kinetoplast.
• In well-stained preparations, the kinetoplast
can be seen consisting of a parabasal body and
a dot-like blepharoplast with a delicate thread
connecting the two.
• The axoneme arising from the blepharoplast extends to the anterior tip of the cell.
• Alongside the kinetoplast a clear unstained vacuole can be seen. Flagellum is absent
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani Promastigote:
• It is a flagellar stage and is present in insect vector, sandfly and in cultures.
• The promastigotes, which are initially short, oval or pear-shaped forms, subsequently become long
spindle-shaped cells, 15-25 um in length and 1.5-3.5 um in breadth.
• A single nucleus is situated at the center.
• The kinetoplast lies transversely near
the anterior end.
• The flagellum is single, delicate
and measures 15-28 um.
• Giemsa or Leishman-stained films show
pale blue cytoplasm with a pink nucleus and
bright red kinetoplast.
• A vacuole is present near the root of the flagellum.
• There is no undulating membrane.
• Promastigote forms, which develop in artificial cultures, have the same morphology as in the sandfly.
 Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani .Life cycle

L. donovani completes its life cycle in two hosts

1. Definitive host: Man, dog and other mammals.
2. Vector: Female sandfly (Phlebotomus species).
• Infective form: Promastigote form present in midgut of female sandfly.
• Mode of transmission: Humans acquire by bite of an infected female sandfly.
• It can also be transmitted vertically from mother to fetus, by blood transfusion and
accidental inoculation in the laboratory.
• Incubation period: Usually 2-8 months, occasionally, it may be as short as 10 days or
as long as 2 years.
• The sandfly regurgitates the promastigotes in the wound caused by its proboscis.
• These are engulfed by the cells of reticuloendothelial system (macrophages,
monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes) and change into amastigote (LD
body) within the cells
 Leishmaniasis.Leishmania donovani
• When a vector sandfly feeds on an infected person, the amastigotes present in peripheral
blood and tissue fluids enter the insect along with its blood meal.
• In the midgut (stomach) of the sandfly, the amastigote elongates and develops into the
promastigote form.
• The promastigote multiples by longitudinal binary fission and reaches enormous numbers.
• They may be seen as large rosettes with their flagella entangled. In the sandfly, they migrate
from the midgut to the pharynx and hypostome, where they accumulate and block the
passage.
• Such blocked sandflies have difficulty in sucking blood.
• When they bite a person and attempt to suck blood, plugs of adherent parasites may get
dislodged from the pharynx and they are deposited in the punctured wound.
• It takes about 10 days for the promastigotes to reach adequate numbers after ingestion of
the amastigotes, so as to block the buccal cavity and pharynx of the sandfly.
• This is, therefore, the duration of extrinsic incubation period.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani.
Pathogenicity:
L. donovani causes VL or kala-azar.
• Kala-azar is a reticuloendotheliosis resulting from the invasion of reticuloendothelial
system by L. donovani.
• The parasitized macrophages disseminate the infection to all parts of the body.
• Three major surface membrane proteins of Leishmania, namely
(1) gp63
(2) lipophosphoglycan (LPG) and
(3) glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPs)
give protection against hydrolytic enzymes of macrophage phagolysosome.
• In the spleen, liver and bone marrow particularly, the amastigotes multiply enormously
in the fixed macrophages to produce a "blockade" of the reticuloendothelial system.
• This leads to a marked proliferation and destruction of reticuloendothelial tissue in
these organs.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani
Spleen
• The spleen is the most affected organ.
• It is grossly enlarged and the capsule is
thickened due to perisplenitis.
• Spleen is soft and friable and cuts easily
due to absence of fibrosis.
• The cut section is red or chocolate in color
due to the dilated and engorged vascular spaces.
• The trabeculae are thin and atrophic
• Microscopically, the reticulum cells are greatly
increased in numbers and are loaded with LD bodies.
• Lymphocytic infiltration is scanty, but plasma cells are
numerous
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani

Liver
• The liver is enlarged.
• The Kupffer cells and vascular endothelial cells are
heavily parasitized, but hepatocytes are not affected.
• Liver function is, therefore, not seriously affected,
although prothrombin production is commonly
decreased.
• The sinusoidal capillaries are dilated and engorged.
• Some degree of fatty degeneration is seen.
• The cut surface may show a "nutmeg" appearance.
hepatosplenomegaly
Leishmaniasis. Clinical features of kala-azar
• The onset is typically insidious.
• The clinical illness begins with high-grade fever which
may be remittent with twice daily spikes or
intermittent or less commonly continuous.
• Splenomegaly starts early and is progressive and
massive.
• It is usually soft and nontender.
• Hepatomegaly is moderate.
• Lymphadenopathy is common in most endemic areas
except Indian subcontinent.
• Skin becomes dry, rough and darkly pigmented
(hence, the name kala-azar).
• The hair becomes thin and brittle.
• Cachexia with marked anemia, emaciation and loss of
weight is seen.
 Leishmaniasis. Clinical features of kala-
azar abnormalities
Hematological
• Anemia is most always present and is usually severe.( hemoglobin levels of 5-10 g/dL )
• Leukopenia, Thrombocytopenia is associated with epistaxis, gum bleeding, gastrointestinal
(GI) bleeding.
• Ascites and edema may occur due to hypoalbuminemia.
• Renal involvement is also common.
• In late stage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection VL can present as
opportunistic infection. HIV confection rate is 5% in India and 20% in African countries.
• Autoantibodies to red cells may contribute to hemolysis.
• Antibodies against white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets suggest an autoimmune basis for
the pancytopenia observed in kala-azar.
• Secondary infections such as herpes, measles, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bacillary dysentery
may occur.
• Most untreated patients die in about 2 years, due to some intercurrent disease such as
dysentery, diarrhea and tuberculosis.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani

Bone marrow
• The bone marrow is heavily
infiltrated with parasitized
macrophages, which may crowd the
hematopoietic tissues.
• Peripheral lymph
• Peripheral lymph nodes and
lymphoid tissues of the nasopharynx
and intestine are hypertrophic,
although this is not seen in Indian
cases.
Leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani . Immunity:
• The immune response in VL is very complex.
• There is increased production of proinflammatory
cytokines and chemokines.
• Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth
are the dominant cytokines.
• The factor-ß (TGF-B) most important immunological
Feature in kala-azar is the marked suppression of
cell-mediated immunity to leishmanial antigens.
• This makes unrestricted intra- cellular
multiplication of the parasite possible.
• Cellular responses to tuberculin and other antigens are also suppressed and may be regained
some 6 weeks after recovery from the disease.
• In contrast, there is an overproduction of immunoglobulins, both specific antileishmanial antibodies
as well as nonspecific polyclonal IgG and IgM.
• Circulating immune complexes are demonstrable in serum.
Leishmaniasis.
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis
(PKDL)
• About 3-10% cases of patients of VL in endemic areas develop PKDL, about
an year or 2 after recovery from the systemic illness.
• Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis is seen mainly in India and East Africa
and not seen elsewhere.
• The Indian and African diseases differ in several aspects.
• Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis is a nonulcerative lesion of skin.
• The lesions are of three types:
1. Depigmented or hypopigmented macules: These
commonly appear on the face, the trunk an
extremities and resemble tuberculoid leprosy.
2. Erythematous patches: These are distributed on
the face in a "butterfly distribution".
3. Nodular lesion: Both of the earlier mentioned
lesions may develop into painless yellowish pink
nonulcerating granulomatous nodules.
• The parasite can be demonstrated in the lesions
Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
Laboratory diagnosis of kala-azar depends upon direct and indirect evidences.
• Direct evidence:
Microscopy:
• Demonstration of amastigotes in smears of tissue aspirates is the gold standard for diagnosis of VL.
• For microscopic demonstration of the parasite, the materials collected are: Peripheral blood, Bone
marrow, Splenic aspirate, Enlarged lymph node.
• The smears are stained by Leishman, Giemsa, or Wright’s stains and examined under oil immersion
objective.
• Amastigote parasite can be seen within the macrophages, often in large numbers.
• A few extracellular forms can also be seen.
Peripheral blood smear
• Peripheral blood contains the amastigotes present inside circulating monocytes and less often in neutrophils,
but the numbers are so scanty that a direct blood smear may not show them
 Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
• Chances of detecting them are somewhat improved by examination of a thick
blood film.
• Buffy coat smears show a diurnal periodicity, more smears being positive when
collected during the day than at night.
Bone marrow aspirate
• Bone marrow aspirate is the most common diagnostic specimen collected.
• Generally, the sternal marrow is aspirated by puncturing
the sternum at the level of the 2nd or 3rd intercostal space,
using a sternál puncture needle.
• Bone marrow samples can also be obtained by puncturing
the iliac cres
Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
Splenic aspirates:
• Splenic aspirate are richer in parasites and therefore, are more valuable for diagnosis.
• But, the procedure can sometimes cause dangerous bleeding and therefore, should be done
carefully and only when a marrow examination is inconclusive.
Lymph node aspirates:
• Lymph node aspirates are not useful in the diagnosis of Indian
kala- azar, although it is employed in VL in some other countries.
Comparison of aspiration biopsies:
Splenic aspiration is the most sensitive method (98% positive),
Bone marrow puncture (50-85%, positive) is a safer procedure when compared to spleen
puncture
• Splenic aspiration is contraindicated in patients with prolonged prothrombin time, or if platelet
count is less than 40,000/mm".
• Liver biopsy is also not a safe procedure and carries a risk of hemorrhage.
• Lymph node aspiration is positive in 65% of cases of African kala-azar, but not useful in cases
Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
Culture
Different tissue materials or blood are cultured on NNN medium (described by Novy,
MacNeal and Nicolle).
 This is a rabbit blood agar slope consisting of two parts of salt agar and one part of
defibrinated rabbit blood.
The material is inoculated into the water of condensation and culture is incubated at 22-
24°C for 1-4 weeks.
 At the end of each week, a drop of culture fluid is examined for promastigotes under high
power objective or phase contrast illumination.
Other biphasic medium,
like Schneider’s drosophila tissue
culture medium with added 30%
fetal calf serum can also be used.
 Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
Animal inoculation is not used for routine diagnosis.
When necessary, Chinese golden hamster is the
animal employed.
• The material is inoculated intraperitoneally or intra-
dermally into the skin of nose and feet.
• The inoculated animals are kept at 23-26°C.
• In positive cases, the amastigote can be
demonstrated in smears taken from ulcers or
nodules developing at the sites of inoculation or
from the spleen.
• Animal inoculation is a very sensitive method, but
takes several weeks to become positive.
LD body in spleen smear of experimentally infected
animal (Giemsa stain)
Leishmaniasis.Laboratory Diagnosis
• Detection of antibodies: Complement fixation test was the first serological test used to
detect serum antibodies in VL.
• The antigen originally used, was prepared from human tubercle bacillus by Witebsky,
Klingenstein and Kuhn (hence, called WKK antigen).
• CFT using WKK antigen becomes positive early in the disease, within weeks of infection.
• Positive reaction also occurs in other conditions, including tuberculosis, leprosy and
tropical eosinophilia.
• Specific leishmanial antigens prepared from cultures have been used in a number of tests
to demonstrate specific antibodies.
These tests include:
• Indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT)
• Counter immunoelectrophoresis(CIEP)
• ELISA , dot-ELISA and PCR have been developed for detection of leishmanial antigen.
• The use of PCR is confined to specialized laboratories and is yet to be used for routine
diagnosis of VL in endemic areas.
 Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis .

• Direct agglutination test (DAT)

• rk 39 test: A specific rapid immunchromatographic test (ICT) method for antibody has
been developed using a recombinant leishmanial antigen rk 39 consisting of 39 amino
acids conserved in kinesin region of L. infantum. The sensitivity of the test is 98% and
specificity is 90%.
Molecular diagnosis: A number of molecular diagnosis methods have been developed,
which help in species identification of Leishmania.
• The methods include Western blot
and PCR.

Two noninvasive antigen

detection test in urine for VL are
under evaluation
Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
• Nonspecific serum tests: These tests are based on the greatly increased
globulin content of serum in the disease.
The two tests widely used are:
1. Napier's aldehyde or formogel test
2. Chopra's antimony test.
Napier's aldehyde test
1 mL of clear serum from the patient is taken in a small test tube,
a drop of formalin (40% formaldehyde) is added, shaken and kept in
a rack at room temperature.
A control tube with normal serum is also set up.
A positive reaction is jellification and opacification of the test serum, resembling the coagulated white of egg
appearing within 3-30 minutes.
About 85% of patients with disease of 4 months or more give positive reaction.
Aldehyde test is always negative in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).
The test merely indicates greatly increased serum gamma-globulin and thus, is nonspecific
Leishmaniasis.Laboratory Diagnosis

• Leishmanin skin test (Montenegro test)

• It is delayed hypersensitivity test.
• This was first discovered by Montenegro in
South America and hence, named after him.
• 0.1 mL of killed promastigote suspension (10° washed promastigotes/mL) is
injected intradermally on the dorsoventral aspect of forearm.
• Positive result is indicated by an induration and erythema of 5 mm or more
after 48-72 hours.
• Positive result indicates prior exposure to leishmanial parasite.
• In active kala-azar, this test is negative and becomes positive usually 6-8
weeks after cure from the disease
Leishmaniasis.Treatment
• Kala-azar responds to treatment better than other forms of VL.
• The standard treatment consists of pentavalent antimonial compound,
which is the drug of choice in most of the endemic regions of the world, but
there is resistance to antimony in Bihar in India, where amphotericin-B
deoxycholate or miltefosine is preferred.
Pentavalent antimonial compound: Two pentavalent antimonial (Sb')
preparations are available:
• 1. Sodium stibogluconate (100 mg of Sb'/mL) (SSG)
• 2. Meglumine antimoniate (85 mg of Sb'/mL).
Dosage: The daily dose is 20 mg/kg by rapid intravenous (IV) infusion or
intramuscular (IM) injection for 20-30 days.
• Cure rates exceed 90% in most of the old world, except in Bihar (India) due
to resistance (cure rate 36%).
 Leishmaniasis. Treatment .

• Amphotericin-B: Amphotericin-B is currently used as a first-line drug in Bihar.

• In other parts of the world, it is used when initial antimonial treatment fails.
Dosage: 0.75-1.0 mg/kg on alternate days for a total of 15 infusions.
Note: Fever with chills is almost seen in all patients, using amphotericin-B
infusions.
• Liposomal amphotericin-B (AmBisome): It has been developed and used
extensively to treat VL in all parts of the world.
• It is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
the treatment of VL; dose being 3 mg/kg daily.
• By using liposomal amphotericin-B, higher doses can be given, improving the
cure, without toxicity.
• Current recommendation in India is 10 mg/kg single dose
Leishmaniasis. Treatment

• Paromomycin: is an intramuscular aminoglycoside antibiotic with

antileishmanial activity.
• Dosage: It is given in a dose of 11 mg/kg daily for 21 days.
• Miltefosine: Miltefosine is the first oral drug, approved for the treatment of
leishmaniasis.
• Dosage: 50 mg daily for 28 days for patients weighing less than 25 kg, and
twice daily for patients weighing more than 25 kg.
Leishmaniasis. Prophylaxis:

• Early detection and treatment of all cases.

• Integrated insecticidal spraying to reduce sandfly population
Destruction of animal reservoir host in cases of zoonotic kala-azar.
• Personal prophylaxis by using anti-sandfly measures like, using thick clothes,
bed nets, window mesh, or insect repellants and keeping the environment
clean.
• No vaccine is available at present against kala-azar.
• Candidate vaccine: Many 2nd generation subunit vaccines are under trial in
rodent models, e.g.
Hydrophilic acetylated surface protein B1 (HASBI),
Kinetoplastid membrane protein II (KMPII) and LeishIII.
Leishmania Tropica Complex History and distribution
It includes three species:
1. Leishmania tropica
2. Leishmania major
3. Leishmania ethiopica.

All these species cause old world cutaneous leishmaniasis.

• The disease is also known as oriental sore, Delhi boil, Bagdad boil, or Aleppo
button.
• Cunningham (1885) first observed the parasite in the tissues of a Delhi boil in
Calcutta.
Leishmania Tropica Complex. History and
distribution
• Russian military surgeon, Borovsky (1891) gave an accurate description of its morphology.
• Luhe (1906) gave the name L. tropica.
• In 1914, the Russian physicians Wassily Larionovich Yakimoff (1870–1940) and Nathan
Isaakovich Schokhor (1887–1941) suggested that L. tropica should be divided into the two
subspecies L. tropica minor and L. tropica major based on the size of the parasites found
in skin lesions (L. t. minor, smaller amastigotes; L. t. major, larger amastigotes)
• L. tropica and L. major are found in Middle-East, India, Afghanistan, Eastern
Mediterranean countries and North Africa.
• L. ethiopica occurs in Ethiopia and Kenya.
• In India, CL is restricted to the dry western half of the Indo-Gangetic plains including dry
areas bordering Pakistan, extending from Amritsar to Kutch and Gujarat plains.
• To the East, the cases have been reported from Delhi and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
 Leishmania Tropica Complex. Life cycle
Habitat:
• L. tropica causing CL (old world CL) are essentially the parasite of skin. The amastigote
forms occur in the reticuloendothelial cells of the skin, whereas promastigote forms
are seen in sandfly vector.
• Morphology:
• Morphology of L. tropica complex is indistinguishable from that of L. donovani,
Life cycle: The life cycle of L. tropica is similar to that of L. donovani except:
• Vectors: The vectors of
• L. tropica- Phlebotomus sandflies./ P. sergenti-L. tropica
• P. papatasi-L. major / P. longipes-L. aethiopica
Mode of transmission: The most common mode of infection is through bite of sandflies.
• Infection may also sometimes occur by direct contact.
• Infection may be transmitted from man-to-man or animal-to-man by direct inoculation
of amastigotes.
Leishmania Tropica Complex.Pathology &
Clinical Manifestations
• L. tropica causes old world cutaneous leishmaniasis
• Incubation period: Incubation period varies from 2-8 months.
Pathology
• Amastigote forms are found in histiocytes and endothelial cells.
• There is an inflammatory granulomatous reaction with infiltration of
lymphocyte and plasma cells.
• Early lesions are papular, followed by ulceration necrosis.
• Papule and ulcer are the main pathological lesions.
• They heal over months to years, leaving scars.
Leishmania Tropica Complex. Pathology &
Clinical Manifestations
• Features of the disease vary with epidemiological pattern from region-to- region.
• Three distinct patterns of old world CL have been recognized.
• The anthroponotic urban type causing painless dry ulcerating lesions, leading to
disfiguring scars, caused by the species L. tropica.
• This is prevalent from the Middle East to North- Western India.
• The most important vector is P. sergenti.
• It is seen mainly in children in endemic areas and is called as oriental sore or Delhi
boil.
• It begins as a raised papule, which grows into a nodule that ulcerates over some
weeks.
 Leishmania Tropica Complex. Pathology &
Clinical Manifestations
• Lesions may be single or multiple and vary in size from 0.5 to more than 3
cm.
• Lymphatic spread and lymph gland involvement may be palpable and may
precede the appearance of the skin lesion.
• The margins of the ulcer are raised and indurated.
• The ulcer is usually painless unless secondary bacterial infection occurs.
• There may be satellite lesions, especially in L. major and L. tropica
infections.
• The dry ulcers usually heal spontaneously in about an year.
• Old World cutaneous
leishmaniasis located on the
right arm of a soldier stationed in
Kuwait. This 2-cm by 3-cm lesion
was located at the exposed area
where the sleeve ended. Note
the satellite lesions

Active cutaneous leishmaniasis lesion w

ith
likely secondary infection in a soldier
Leishmania Tropica Complex. Pathology & Clinical
Manifestations
• The zoonotic rural type causing moist ulcers which are inflamed,
often multiple, caused by L. major.
• The incubation period is usually less than 4 months.
• Lesions due to L. major heal more rapidly than L. tropica.
• This is seen in the lowland zones of Asia, Middle East and Africa.
• Gerbils, rats and other rodents are the reservoirs.
• P. papatasi is the most important vector.
Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis:
• The nonulcerative and often diffuse lesions caused by L. ethiopica
and seen in the highlands of Ethiopia and Kenya are known as
diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL).
• P. longipes is the usual vector.
Leishmania Tropica Complex. Pathology &
Clinical Manifestations
• It is a rare form of disease, where nodular lesions although restricted to skin
are disseminated on the face and extremities from initial localized papule.
• It is characterized by low humoral as well as cell- mediated immunity.
• The lesions last for years or even for entire age. It is difficult to treat.
Leishmaniasis recidivans
• It is a type of lesion seen in persons with a high degree of cell-mediated
immunity to the parasite.
• The lesions are chronic with alternating periods of activity and healing,
characterized by a central scar with peripheral activity.
• The lesions resemble those of lupus or tuberculoid leprosy.
• Parasites are very scanty in the lesions.
• Leishmanin test is strongly positive.
• Chemotherapy is not very useful. Better results follow local application of
heat.
Leishmania Tropica Complex. Laboratory
Diagnosis
Microscopy
• Smear is made from the material obtained from the indurated edge of nodule or sore and
stained by Giemsa or Leishman stain.
• Amastigotes are found in large numbers inside the macrophages.
• Definitive diagnosis is made by demonstration of amastigote in the smear collected from the
lesion.
Culture
• Promastigote forms can be isolated by culture of the aspirate material in NNN medium.
Skin test
• Leishmanin skin test is helpful.
• Positive leishmanin test in children under 10 years of age from endemic areas is highly
suggestive of the disease.
• The skin test is negative in diffuse CL.
Serology
• These are of limited value as the patient shows no detectable levels of circulating antibodies.
New World Leishmaniasis. L. Braziliensis
Complex and L. Mexicana Complex
History and distribution
• Lindenberg and Paranhos (1909) first described amastigotes in the ulcers of skin in a man
in Brazil.
• Vianna (1911) named the species as L. braziliensis.
• L. braziliensis complex and L. mexicana complex cause new world leishmaniasis in Central
and South America.
Habitat
• These occur as intracellular parasite.
• The amastigote form is seen inside the macrophages of skin and mucous membrane of
the nose and buccal cavity.
• The promastigote form occurs in vector species Lutzomyia.
Morphology
• Morphology of amastigote and promastigote forms of both the parasites is same as that
of the other two species of Leishmania
New World Leishmaniasis.Clinical Manifestations
New World Leishmaniasis.Clinical Manifestations
L. mexicana complex leads to cutaneous leishmaniasis which closely resembles the old
world CL.
• However a specific lesion of caused by L. mexicana is chiclero ulcer which is characterized
by ulcerations in pinna.
• Chiclero ulcer is also called as self healing sore of Mexico.
• L. braziliensis complex causes both mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (espundia) and "CL”
• L. braziliensis causes the most severe and destructive form of cutaneous lesion.
• It involves the nose, mouth and larynx.
• The patient experiences a nodule at the site of sandfly bite with symptoms consistent
with oriental sore.
• Subsequent mucocutaneous involvement leads to nodules inside the nose, perforation of
the nasal septum, and enlargement of the nose and lips (espundia).
New World Leishmaniasis. Clinical Manifestations
• If the larynx is involved, the voice changes as well.
• Ulcerated lesions may lead to scarring and tissue destruction that can be
disfiguring.
• The disease occurs predominantly in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru.
• L. mexicana, L. amazonensis also cause DCL similar to that of L. ethiopica in
individuals with defective cell mediated immunity.
• Montenegro skin test is negative.
Pian bois
• It is also known as "forest yaws".
• It is caused by L. braziliensis guyanensis and is characterized by appearance of
single or multiple painless dry persistent ulcers appear all.
New World Leishmaniasis. Laboratory Diagnosis
Microscopy
• Amastigotes are demonstrated in smears taken from lesions of skin and mucous membrane.
• L. Mexicana amastigotes are larger than those of L. braziliensis and their kinetoplast is more
centrally placed.
Biopsy
• Amastigotes can also be demonstrated from slit-skin biopsy.
Culture
• Culturing material obtained from ulcers in NNN medium demonstrates promastigotes.
• L. mexicana grows well in comparison to L. braziliensis, which grows slowly.
Serology
• Antibodies can be detected in serum by IFA test, which is positive in 89-95% of cases.
• ELISA is also a sensitive method to detect antibody; being positive in 85% of cases.
Skin test
• Leishmanin test is positive in cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.
In case of respiratory complications, glucocorticoids can be used.