Review
Immunology
Greta Volpedo, Thalia Pacheco-Fernandez, Erin A. Holcomb, Natalie Cipriano, Blake Cox, Abhay R. Satoskar
Summary: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting 12 million people worldwide. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common form, presenting as ulcerating skin lesions that can self-heal or become chronic. The balance of immune response and inflammatory mediators plays a vital role in the clinical presentation and outcome of the disease.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Awnish Kumar, Vishal Kumar Singh, Rahul Tiwari, Prasoon Madhukar, Shashi Kumar, Vibhav Gautam, Christian Engwerda, Shyam Sundar, Rajiv Kumar
Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe and often fatal form of leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani in the Indian sub-continent. Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a late cutaneous manifestation of VL, serving as a significant yet neglected reservoir of infection and posing a serious threat to the VL elimination program in India. Eradicating PKDL should be a priority within the current VL elimination program by understanding its pathogenesis and developing effective strategies for disease management.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Begona Monge-Maillo, Francesca F. Norman, Sandra Chamorro-Tojeiro, Francesca Gioia, Jose-Antonio Perez-Molina, Carmen Chicharro, Javier Moreno, Rogelio Lopez-Velez
Summary: Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in an HIV-negative patient is rare, and this case highlights its association with other types of immunosuppression. In addition, this case report presents an effective therapeutic option with miltefosine, which can be very useful due to limited reported experience.
JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Stella Rousset, Mathilde Zenou, Aurelie Saunier, Fanny Varenne, Vincent Soler, Emilie Tournier, Lea Legrand, Laurence Lachaud, Pierre Buffet, Antoine Berry, Pierre Delobel, Guillaume Martin-Blondel
Summary: This study reported cases of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) and compared the characteristics of two groups based on whether PKDL occurred in the context of immune recovery under antiretroviral therapy (ART) or not. The study found that PKDL can occur as part of an immune restoration disease under ART or as a relapse of visceral leishmaniasis in the context of AIDS. Comparisons between the two groups showed that patients in the immune recovery group had higher CD4(+) cell counts, lower rates of concomitant visceral leishmaniasis, and a trend towards more frequent ocular involvement.
Article
Immunology
Shyam Sundar, Jitendra Singh, Anju Dinkar, Neha Agrawal
Summary: This study assessed the safety and effectiveness of miltefosine for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. The cure rate was 76%, but a significant number of patients experienced ocular complications.
OPEN FORUM INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Md Anik Ashfaq Khan, Khaledul Faisal, Rajashree Chowdhury, Rupen Nath, Prakash Ghosh, Debashis Ghosh, Faria Hossain, Ahmed Abd El Wahed, Dinesh Mondal
Summary: LD-RPA assay showed high sensitivity and positivity rate in detecting LD in sand flies from PKDL cases. It may be considered as a promising single molecular detection tool for investigations related to LD infections and host infectiousness in PKDL.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Ritika Sengupta, Sneha Mitra, Aishwarya Dighal, Srija Moulik, Surya Jyati Chaudhuri, Nilay Kanti Das, Uttara Chatterjee, Mitali Chatterjee
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the hypopigmentation in post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). The results showed a decrease in melanocytes and key enzymes related to melanogenesis pathway in PKDL patients. Additionally, elevated levels of cytokines and chemokines, along with increased infiltration of CD8(+) T-cells, were observed in PKDL patients. These findings suggest that the hypopigmentation in PKDL is associated with the destruction of melanocytes and an enhanced pro-inflammatory immune milieu.
EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Keerti Kaumudee Dixit, V Ramesh, Shreya Upadhyay, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Om Prakash Singh, Shyam Sundar, Ruchi Singh, Poonam Salotra
Summary: The study found that using blood samples for PKDL diagnosis in India has the potential to increase diagnostic sensitivity for macular PKDL cases, aiding in fast-tracking VL elimination.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ophthalmology
Rakhi Kusumesh, Anita Ambasta, Lalan Kumar Arya, Nilesh Mohan, Bibhuti Prassan Sinha, Vidyanand Ravidas
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed 5 cases of PKDL patients who developed keratitis after receiving miltefosine treatment. All patients showed varying degrees of keratitis symptoms after 48 days of miltefosine treatment, with corticosteroid therapy and discontinuation of miltefosine effectively improving the keratitis condition.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abdollah Jafarzadeh, Sara Jafarzadeh, Iraj Sharifi, Najmeh Aminizadeh, Parvin Nozari, Maryam Nemati
Summary: Host immune responses play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Leishmania infection, with specific cytokines protecting against or promoting post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. Understanding the cytokine network within lesions can offer insights for potential immunotherapeutic strategies in treating L. donovani-mediated PKDL.
Article
Dermatology
Piyush Kumar, Mitali Chatterjee, Nilay Kanti Das
Summary: Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a mucocutaneous disease that occurs in apparently cured, inadequately treated, or untreated cases of visceral leishmaniasis. It presents with a variety of skin lesions, including hypopigmented patches, erythematous succulent papulo-plaques, and nodular lesions, and early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce disease transmission.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Nibedeeta Rani Sarraf, Saikat Mukhopadhyay, Anindyajit Banerjee, Anjan Kumar Das, Syamal Roy, Saikat Chakrabarti, Madhumita Manna, Partha Saha
Summary: The study conducted whole genome sequencing of L. donovani strains from Indian patients, revealing unique genomic variations in 24 genes among para-KDL strains compared to other strains. These distinctive genomic changes among para-KDL strains could be significant for the parasites to become dermatotropic.
Article
Parasitology
Chinmayee Bar Routaray, Avishek Kumar, Shyam Sundar, Gajanan Sathe, Harsh Pawar, Kalpana Pai
Summary: In this study, the global proteome of a Leishmania donovani isolate from post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) patient was mapped using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results revealed unique protein characteristics of PKDL parasite and identified several upregulated proteins in PKDL.
ACTA PARASITOLOGICA
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Krishna Pandey, Biplab Pal, Niyamat Ali Siddiqui, Chandra Shekhar Lal, Vahab Ali, Sanjiva Bimal, Ashish Kumar, Neena Verma, Vidya Nand Rabi Das, Shubhankar Kumar Singh, Roshan Kamal Topno, Pradeep Das
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of liposomal amphotericin B and miltefosine in post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis patients, finding that miltefosine had better efficacy with higher cure rates and lower relapse rates. Therefore, miltefosine should be continued as the first-line therapy for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY VENEREOLOGY & LEPROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Srija Moulik, Ritika Sengupta, Manab Kumar Ghosh, Nilay Kanti Das, Bibhuti Saha, Mitali Chatterjee
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the response of different variants of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) to liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB). The results showed a significant decrease in parasite load in patients with polymorphic lesions, while the decrease was not as pronounced in patients with macular disease. There was also a higher infiltration of CD68+ macrophages in the tissue of polymorphic PKDL before therapy.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY VENEREOLOGY & LEPROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
James P. Hewitson, Kunal M. Shah, Najmeeyah Brown, Paul Grevitt, Sofia Hain, Katherine Newling, Tyson Sharp, Paul M. Kaye, Dimitris Lagos
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shibabrata Mukherjee, Ritika Sengupta, Debanjan Mukhopadhyay, Claudia Braun, Sneha Mitra, Susmita Roy, Nilay Kanti Das, Uttara Chatterjee, Esther von Stebut-Borschitz, Mitali Chatterjee
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Malini Pires, Barry Wright, Paul M. Kaye, Virginia da Conceicao, Rachel C. Churchill
Article
Infectious Diseases
Aishwarya Dighal, Debanjan Mukhopadhyay, Ritika Sengupta, Srija Moulik, Shibabrata Mukherjee, Susmita Roy, Surya Jyati Chaudhuri, Nilay K. Das, Mitali Chatterjee
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Debanjan Mukhopadhyay, Lamba Omar Sangare, Laurence Braun, Mohamed-Ali Hakimi, Jeroen P. J. Saeij
Article
Immunology
James P. Hewitson, Katie A. West, Kylie R. James, Gulab Fatima Rani, Nidhi Dey, Audrey Romano, Najmeeyah Brown, Sarah A. Teichmann, Paul M. Kaye, Dimitris Lagos
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Debanjan Mukhopadhyay, David Arranz-Solis, Jeroen P. J. Saeij
Article
Microbiology
Angel K. Kongsomboonvech, Felipe Rodriguez, Anh L. Diep, Brandon M. Justice, Brayan E. Castallanos, Ana Camejo, Debanjan Mukhopadhyay, Gregory A. Taylor, Masahiro Yamamoto, Jeroen P. J. Saeij, Michael L. Reese, Kirk D. C. Jensen
Article
Hematology
Gulab Fatima Rani, Olivier Preham, Helen Ashwin, Najmeeyah Brown, Ian S. Hitchcock, Paul M. Kaye
Summary: In the study of experimental visceral leishmaniasis, using a murine model, it was shown that platelet levels gradually decreased after infection, primarily due to alterations in the liver microenvironment. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying thrombocytopenia in EVL were found to be multifactorial and reversible.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Stefano Malvolti, Melissa Malhame, Carsten F. Mantel, Epke A. Le Rutte, Paul M. Kaye
Summary: This study analyzed the demand for human leishmaniasis vaccines, estimating the size of four main use cases. The highest demand comes from the prevention of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, while the demand for post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis is relatively smaller.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Paul M. Kaye, Sakshi Mohan, Carsten Mantel, Melissa Malhame, Paul Revill, Epke Le Rutte, Vivak Parkash, Alison M. Layton, Charles J. N. Lacey, Stefano Malvolti
Summary: Despite progress, the development of leishmaniasis vaccines is hindered by gaps in understanding throughout the vaccine development pipeline. Increased coordination and a more holistic approach are needed for faster progress in the future.
EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Johannes S. P. Doehl, Helen Ashwin, Najmeeyah Brown, Audrey Romano, Samuel Carmichael, Jon W. Pitchford, Paul M. Kaye
Summary: Research indicates that in hosts infected with parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex, heavily parasite-infected myeloid cells are found in patches in the skin, from which the parasites spread to other cells. The combination of imaging and ecological pattern analysis offers new insights into understanding the behavior of myeloid cells following parasitism by L. donovani and potentially other intracellular tissue-resident pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sakshi Mohan, Paul M. Revill, Stefano Malvolti, Melissa Malhame, Mark Sculpher, Paul Kaye
Summary: This study aims to provide a method for estimating the commercial and public health value of a vaccine in development by relying on publicly available Global Burden of Disease data. The estimation of demand for a future leishmaniasis vaccine suggests that it could be commercially attractive to potential manufacturers based on the projected demand and ability-to-pay of countries.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Malcolm S. Duthie, Bruna A. S. Machado, Roberto Badaro, Paul M. Kaye, Steven G. Reed
Summary: Leishmania parasites cause various diseases and only a few vaccine candidates have advanced to clinical trials. RNA technology shows potential benefits in addressing the challenges of Leishmania vaccine development. Strategies, including controlled human infection models and initial use in a therapeutic setting, can efficiently evaluate the efficacy of Leishmania vaccines.
Article
Parasitology
Ritika Sengupta, Madhurima Roy, Nidhi S. Dey, Paul M. Kaye, Mitali Chatterjee
Summary: PKDL is a dermatological sequel of VL, characterized by hypopigmentation and the loss of melanocytes possibly caused by immune dysregulation and inflammation.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
