title: Ethiopian visceral leishmaniasis patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: This communication reports 7 Ethiopian visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The clinical and laboratory findings in 6 patients did not differ from classical VL. All patients had highly elevated anti-leishmanial antibody titres, determined by immunoglobulin G-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; they most probably acquired the Leishmania infection before HIV. Amastigotes were identified in the splenic aspirates of 6 patients and in the lymph node aspirate of the 2 patients whose lymph nodes were examined. The CD4:CD8 lymphocyte ratio was depressed in those patients whose ratio was determined. Most patients showed some initial response to pentavalent antimonial therapy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berhe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hailu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolday
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Negesse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cenini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frommel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D005002:Ethiopia; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan