title: Phylogenetic position of Leishmania isolates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
abstract: Several species of the genus Leishmania are causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan. This study aimed to determine phylogenetic placement of Leishmania species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan (34 Leishmania tropica, 3 Leishmania infantum), in-relation to species from other geographical areas using gene sequences encoding cytochrome b (cytb) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (its2). Based on cytochrome b sequence analysis, L. tropica strains from Pakistan and other geographical regions were differentiated into two genotype groups, A and B. Within the province, five distinct L. tropica genotypes were recognized; two in group A, three in group B. Two L. infantum isolates from the province were closely associated with both Afro-Eurasian and American species of the Leishmania donovani complex, including Leishmania chagasi, L. infantum and L. donovani from Sudan and Ethiopia; while a third L. infantum isolate could not be differentiated from visceralizing Kenyan and Indian L. donovani. We observed apposite phylogenetic placement of CL-causing L. tropica and L. infantum from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Affinities ascribed to Leishmania spp. From the region are valuable in tracing potential importation of leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Electronic address: nazma@upesh.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Nazma Habib
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, UK. Electronic address: louisa.messenger@lshtm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Louisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Messenger
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Electronic address: sobiawahid@upesh.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Sobia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wahid
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, UK. Electronic address: colin.sutherland@lshtm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Colin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D021901:DNA, Intergenic / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005838:Genotype; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D021901:DNA, Intergenic; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: Cytochrome b (cytb); Internal transcribed spacer 2 (its2); Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP); Leishmania