Author/Authors :
Saki, J Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Meamar, AR Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Oormazdi, H Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Akhlaghi, L Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Maraghi, S Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , Mohebali, M Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - School of Public Health - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Khademvatan, S Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , Razmjou, E Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology - Faculty of Medicine - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
Background: Leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease cause by Leishmania genus. Anthroponotic and
zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis are endemic in Iran. The aim of this study was to identify the causative
agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis by mini-exon gene in five regions of Khuzestan Province, southwest of
Iran.
Methods: From 2007 to 2008 in this cross-sectional study, cutaneous samples were collected from
patients referred to Health Centers and Hospitals of the Khuzestan Province for cutaneous leishmaniasis
diagnosis and cultured in Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) and RPMI 1640. The propagated promastigotes
were harvested and Leishmania species of cutaneous leishmaniasis were identified by RFLP and DNA
sequencing of the PCR generated fragments.
Results: L. major and L. tropica were the causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis by predominantly
of L. major species. The alignment of the mini-exon sequencing isolates with reported sequencing of L.
major and L. tropica revealed 92%-99% identity.
Conclusion: Our study showed that mini-exon PCR-RFLP was useful method to identify the causative
species of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Keywords :
Cutaneous leishmaniasis , Mmini-exon , RFLP , Sequencing , Iran
