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Prospective cohort studies following individuals from acute infections have documented a prevalent post-infective fatigue state meeting diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) - that is, a post-infective fatigue syndrome (PIFS). The Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study (DIOS) was a prospective cohort following individuals from acute infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Ross River virus (RRV), or Q fever through to assessment of caseness for CFS designated by physician and psychiatrist assessments at 6 months. Previous studies in DIOS have revealed that functional genetic polymorphisms in both immunological (pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines) and neurological (the purinergic receptor, P2X7) genes are associated with both the severity of the acute infection and subsequent prolonged illness. Principal components analysis was applied to self-report data from DIOS to describe the severity and course of both the overall illness and concurrent mood disturbance. Associations between demographics and acute infection characteristics, with prolonged illness course as well as the PIFS outcome were examined using multivariable statistics. Genetic haplotype-driven functional variations in the neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene previously shown to be associated with brain responses to stress, and to trait anxiety were also examined as predictors. The sample included 484 subjects (51% female, median age 32, IQR 19-44), of whom 90 (19%) met diagnostic criteria for CFS at 6 months. Participants with greater overall illness severity and concurrent mood disturbance in the acute illness had a more prolonged illness severity (HR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.34-0.46, p < 0.001) and mood disturbance (HR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.30-0.42, p < 0.001), respectively. Baseline illness severity and RRV infection were associated with delayed recovery. Female gender and mood disturbance in the acute illness were associated with prolonged mood disturbance. Logistic regression showed that the odds of an individual being diagnosed with PIFS increased with greater baseline illness severity (OR = 2.24, 95%CI: 1.71-2.94, p < 0.001). There was no association between the NPY haplotypes with overall illness severity or mood disturbance either during the acute illness phase or with prolonged illness (p > 0.05). Severe acute infective illnesses predicted prolonged illness, prolonged mood disturbance and PIFS. These factors may facilitate early intervention to manage both PIFS and mood disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cavity volume is an important clinical index for the assessment of the healing process and effectiveness of treatment applied on chronic ulcers. Recently, 3D scanners have proven to effectively track ulcer's volume evolution. However, photogrammetry presents itself as a low cost and portable alternative. We conducted a comparative study between photogrammetric and 3D scanner-based volume estimation of small skin ulcers. A total of 24 cutaneous leishmaniasis ulcers' virtual models were generated using a commercial laser scanner and a full-HD portable camera. The reconstruction from videos was performed using open-source software (VisualSFM). The results revealed a similar performance when compared to 3D Scan-based volume estimation with a median deviation and percentile error of 33.68 mm3 and 21.10%, respectively. In addition, the method proved to effectively follow the same tendency in the assessment of healing ulcers when compared to the 3D-scanner. Moreover, when comparing the two virtual models trough residual differences after ICP registration the mean error and standard deviation was 0.36 ± 0.27 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on importance of Cluster of Differentiation 1a (CD1a) for leishmaniasis diagnosis. Topics discussed include challenges in leishmaniasis diagnosis involves organisms are less than abundant and requiring the visualization of the amastigote; cases of Cutaneous leishmaniasis with visible amastigotes were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and CD1a; and staining power of CD1a is species-dependent.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a skin disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Few studies have assessed the influence of the sample collection site within the ulcer and the sampling method on the sensitivity of parasitological and molecular diagnostic techniques for CL. Sensitivity of the technique can be dependent upon the load and distribution of Leishmania amastigotes in the lesion. Methodology/Principal Findings: We applied a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for Leishmania (Viannia) minicircle kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) detection and parasite load quantification in biopsy and scraping samples obtained from 3 sites within each ulcer (border, base, and center) as well as in cytology brush specimens taken from the ulcer base and center. A total of 248 lesion samples from 31 patients with laboratory confirmed CL of recent onset (≤3 months) were evaluated. The kDNA-qPCR detected Leishmania DNA in 97.6% (242/248) of the examined samples. Median parasite loads were significantly higher in the ulcer base and center than in the border in biopsies (P<0.0001) and scrapings (P = 0.0002). There was no significant difference in parasite load between the ulcer base and center (P = 0.80, 0.43, and 0.07 for biopsy, scraping, and cytology brush specimens, respectively). The parasite load varied significantly by sampling method: in the ulcer base and center, the descending order for the parasite load levels in samples was: cytology brushes, scrapings, and biopsies (P<0.0001); in the ulcer border, scrapings had higher parasite load than biopsies (P<0.0001). There was no difference in parasite load according to L. braziliensis and L. peruviana infections (P = 0.4). Conclusion/Significance: Our results suggest an uneven distribution of Leishmania amastigotes in acute CL ulcers, with higher parasite loads in the ulcer base and center, which has implications for bedside collection of diagnostic specimens. The use of scrapings and cytology brushes is recommended instead of the more invasive biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermotherapy is an accepted alternative therapy for new-world cutaneous leishmaniasis, but current heat-delivery modalities are too costly to be made widely available to endemic populations. We adapted a low-cost heat pack named the HECT-CL device that delivers safe, reliable, and renewable conduction heat. 25 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis completed treatment with the device at an initial temperature of 52°C±2°C for 3 minutes to each lesion, repeated daily for 7 days, and were followed up for 6 months by direct observation. The overall definitive clinical cure rate was 60%. Concurrently, 13 patients meeting minimally significant exclusion criteria received identical compassionate use treatment with a cumulative definitive cure rate of 68.4%, 75% for those who had experienced CL relapse after prior antimonial treatment. Therapy was well tolerated. Reversible second-degree burns occurred in two patients and no bacterial super-infections were observed. HECT-CL is a promising treatment and deserves further study to verify its safety and efficacy as adjuvant and mono- therapy. Author Summary: American cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic parasitic disease in Peru, with more than a reported thousand cases per year associated with significant disabilities and economic impact. In comparison to old-world cutaneous Leishmaniasis where the infection generally heals on its own, American cutaneous Leishmaniasis is a chronic skin disease and its treatment can be expensive, difficult to administer, and associated with significant adverse events. We developed a heat treatment using a novel and low-technology device named Hand-held Exothermic Crystallization Thermotherapy for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (HECT-CL). This device produces a stable thermal reaction ranging from 50–54°C which is considered therapeutic and has enormous benefits for its application in real world conditions, as it is extremely low cost, simple to use, and highly tolerable in patients receiving this treatment. Our pilot evaluation found cure rates close to those reported with the standard antimonial treatment and likely higher in cases of relapsing disease. Additionally, fewer severe adverse events were observed than reported with the use of other currently available heat therapies. Our objective is to show that HECT-CL therapy could be instituted in rural and real situations with limited health care infrastructure and with less cost and fewer side effects than standard antimonial treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Explore a new target for molecular diagnosis of Leishmania. Materials and methods. We evaluated the utility of the gene that encodes the heat shock protein 20-kDa (Hsp20) for detecting Leishmania by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR was normalized and analytical parameters were determined, as well as the validity and diagnostic accuracy, and concordance with the PCR - 18S. PCR-Hsp20 with DNA was obtained from a group of clinical samples from different sources. Results. The analytical parameters were adequate. The sensitivity obtained was 86% and the specificity was 100%. The concordance with the reference method was good (K = 0.731), which supports its potential use for diagnosis. The possibility of subsequent identification of the species by sequencing the amplified product gives an additional advantage. Conclusions. The usefulness of this gene asa new target for the detection of Leishmania was demonstrated. Because of its potential, it is recommended to improve the sensitivity of the method and to evaluate it in different endemic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) has been exploited for Leishmania species identification in the Old and New World, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Three new Leishmania-specific hsp70 PCRs were recently described, and we applied 2 of these on 89 clinical samples from a total of 73 Peruvian patients with either cutaneous or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. The new PCRs on average showed a 2- to 3-fold improved sensitivity in the tested sample types (lesion biopsies, aspirates, and scrapings), for both genus detection and species typing, and were most successful in biopsies. Leishmania braziliensis, L. peruviana, and L. guyanensis were encountered. About one third of the L. braziliensis parasites contained 2 hsp70 alleles. This study is a paradigm for the implementation of a globally applicable upgraded tool for the identification of Leishmania directly on human specimens from cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions in the New World. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]