title: The associations of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica aspects by focusing their morphological and molecular features on clinical appearances in Khuzestan Province, Iran.
abstract: Cutaneous leishmaniasis has various phenotypic aspects consisting of polymorphic amastigotes with different genetic ranges. Samples were collected from suspected patients of Khuzestan province. Prepared smears were stained, scaled, and measured using ocular micrometer. The Cyt b, ITS-rDNA, and microsatellite genes of Leishmania were amplified and Leishmania species were identified by molecular analyses. Of 150 examined suspected patients, 102 were identified to Leishmania species (90 L. major, nine L. tropica, and three unidentified). The amastigotes of 90 L. major had regular and different irregular shapes within three clinical lesions with no and/or low genetic diversity. Three haplotypes of Cyt b of L. major were found but no variation was observed using ITS-rDNA gene. Interesting findings were that all nine L. tropica had regular amastigote shapes with more genetic variations, also a patient which had coinfection of L. major, L. tropica, and Crithidia. At least two L. major and L. tropica were identified in suspected patients of the regions. Different irregular amastigotes' shapes of L. major can be explained by various reservoir hosts and vectors. In contrast, more molecular variations in L. tropica could be justified by genetic characters. Unidentified Leishmania could be mixed pathogens or nonpathogens with mammals' Leishmania or Crithidia.
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Department, Medical Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Avenue, 1316943551 Tehran, Iran ; Parasitology Department, Medical Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spotin
authors.affiliation: Parasitology Department, Medical Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rouhani
authors.affiliation: Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Avenue, 1316943551 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parviz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parvizi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D045303:Cytochromes b