Shabnam Asfaram1,2, Mahdi Fakhar3, Mehdi Mohebali4, Hajar Ziaei Hezarjaribi2, Ahmad Mardani5, Behrooz Ghezelbash6, Behnaz Akhoundi7, Zabihollah Zarei7, Maryam Moazeni8. 1. Zoonoses Research Center (ZRC), Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran. 2. Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, P.O Box: 48471-91971, Farah-Abad Road, Sari, Iran. 3. Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, P.O Box: 48471-91971, Farah-Abad Road, Sari, Iran. mahdif53@yahoo.com. 4. Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Department of Parasitology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mohebali@tums.ac.ir. 5. Department of Microbiology, Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran. 6. Laboratory Hematology and Blood Bank, Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran. 7. Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Department of Parasitology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 8. Invasive Fungi Research Center, Communicable Diseases Institute, Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent global evidences showed that asymptomatic blood donor carriers of Leishmania infection will appear as a threat for blood transfusions recipients in endemic areas. As yet, there is no appropriate diagnostic procedure for detecting infection of blood donors in blood banks. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The present study was aimed to apply various current diagnostic tests among blood donors in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), Ardabil Province, northwestern Iran. Blood samples were gathered from 860 blood donors in endemic areas of the province between 2017 and 2018, at eight blood donation centers. These samples was assessed using microculture, serological (DAT and rK39-ICT) and molecular based (conventional kDNA-PCR and HRM-PCR) tests. RESULTS: Of 860 eligible donors, 24 (2.8%) were seropositive for VL by DAT, and 388 (45%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. Moreover, 19 (19/860) were positive for both of them. Out of 19 subjects, 5.3% (1/19) was positive by rK39-ICT, 10.5% (2/19), and 79% (15/19) were detected positive in microculture and HRM-PCR methods, respectively. Nineteen donors were followed up for 2 years, of which 16 (84.2%) had a serological conversion, and 4 (21%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. The sensitivity of kDNA-PCR, and HRM-PCR procedures in detecting Leishmania parasite was found to be 98.7%, and 79%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings justify the use of kDNA-PCR as a convenient and sensitive tool for screening subjects with leishmanial latent infection in blood banks at least in endemic regions. In these areas, however, a PCR-based test should be used to validate Leishmania infection among seropositive donors.
BACKGROUND: Recent global evidences showed that asymptomatic blood donor carriers of Leishmania infection will appear as a threat for blood transfusions recipients in endemic areas. As yet, there is no appropriate diagnostic procedure for detecting infection of blood donors in blood banks. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The present study was aimed to apply various current diagnostic tests among blood donors in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), Ardabil Province, northwestern Iran. Blood samples were gathered from 860 blood donors in endemic areas of the province between 2017 and 2018, at eight blood donation centers. These samples was assessed using microculture, serological (DAT and rK39-ICT) and molecular based (conventional kDNA-PCR and HRM-PCR) tests. RESULTS: Of 860 eligible donors, 24 (2.8%) were seropositive for VL by DAT, and 388 (45%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. Moreover, 19 (19/860) were positive for both of them. Out of 19 subjects, 5.3% (1/19) was positive by rK39-ICT, 10.5% (2/19), and 79% (15/19) were detected positive in microculture and HRM-PCR methods, respectively. Nineteen donors were followed up for 2 years, of which 16 (84.2%) had a serological conversion, and 4 (21%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. The sensitivity of kDNA-PCR, and HRM-PCR procedures in detecting Leishmania parasite was found to be 98.7%, and 79%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings justify the use of kDNA-PCR as a convenient and sensitive tool for screening subjects with leishmanial latent infection in blood banks at least in endemic regions. In these areas, however, a PCR-based test should be used to validate Leishmania infection among seropositive donors.
Authors: Jaqueline de Almeida Silva; Ivan de Melo Araújo; Luiz Carlos Pavanetti; Liene Shigaki Okamoto; Mônica Dias Journal: J Bras Nefrol Date: 2015 Apr-Jun