Molecular Diagnosis of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Identification of the Causative Leishmania Species in Iran: A Narrative Review

Authors
Seyed Ebrahim Eskandari 1
Mojtaba Memariani 2
Hamed Memariani 3
Mehdi Mohebali 4
Ali Khamesipour 1
1 Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
3 Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.61186/ibj.4239
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common form of leishmaniasis in underdeveloped countries. Although CL tends to be self-limiting, it can cause significant scars and may progress to more severe manifestations. Additionally, Leishmania species vary in susceptibility to the available treatments. The selection of treatment and clinical outcome of CL depend on the accurate determination of the Leishmania species. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of the molecular diagnosis techniques such as PCR-based assays, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification utilized in the identification of Leishmania species in Iran.
Keywords
Humans
Iran
Leishmaniasis
Molecular diagnostic techniques