Leishmaniasis visceral en un paciente con artritis reumatoide en tratamiento con metotrexato / Visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate

Los pacientes con artritis reumatoide (AR) pueden presentar un número amplio de complicaciones, siendo de especial importancia las de etiología infecciosa. Su elevada incidencia está muy ligada al uso de inmunosupresores. El espectro de agentes causantes de infecciones oportunistas en pacientes con AR es muy amplio; sin embargo, son relativamente escasos los casos de infección por Leishmania, especialmente en pacientes sin tratamiento con fármacos biológicos

A large number of complications have been associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), those of infectious etiology being of special relevance. Their high incidence is closely linked to the use of immunosuppressive medication. The spectrum of agents causing opportunistic infections in patients with RA is very broad; however, there are relatively few cases of Leishmania infection, especially in patients not being treated with biological drugs

Visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate. / Leishmaniasis visceral en un paciente con artritis reumatoide en tratamiento con metotrexato.

A large number of complications have been associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), those of infectious etiology being of special relevance. Their high incidence is closely linked to the use of immunosuppressive medication. The spectrum of agents causing opportunistic infections in patients with RA is very broad; however, there are relatively few cases of Leishmania infection, especially in patients not being treated with biological drugs.

Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis during anti-TNFα therapy.

The long-term use of novel antipsoriatic systemic biotechnological drugs may increase susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Several cases of visceral leishmaniasis have been reported in immunosuppressed individuals, including those who have been treated with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) blocking agents. Simultaneous occurrence of cutaneous and visceral involvement has been more rarely recorded in the medical literature. Herein, we describe a case of mucosal leishmaniasis occurring in a farmer living in an endemic region, who was treated with golimumab because of psoriatic arthritis. This highlights the importance of recognizing cutaneous lesions as a first indicator of possible underlying kala-azar disease.

Epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients: experience from thirty cases.

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania sp. and is transmitted by Lutzomyia longipalpis (sand fly). In renal transplant recipients, visceral leishmaniasis causes severe damage to the liver, spleen, and hematopoietic system, as well as poor outcomes for patients with transplanted kidneys. This study describes the largest series of cases of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients, providing important information about the diagnostic routines and therapeutic strategies in this patient population. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive study was performed to analyze the distribution and evaluate the extent of the epidemiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of 30 renal transplant recipients from endemic regions who presented with visceral leishmaniasis in the post-transplantation period. RESULTS: In this study, visceral leishmaniasis was more frequent in men (80%). The mean age of presentation was 40 ± 10.5 years. The majority of patients worked in urban areas (66.7%), cohabitated with domestic animals (90%), and were from low-income households. In 73.3% of cases, diagnosis was made by direct isolation of Leishmania forms. Patients were treated with liposomal amphotericin, resulting in a high degree of disease remission (80%). CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the largest series of visceral leishmaniasis in renal transplant recipients and expands clinical-epidemiological knowledge for transplantation teams to perform adequate disease management for this specific patient population.

Visceral leishmaniasis in a psoriatic arthritis patient treated with methotrexate.

Visceral leishmaniasis, in Greece, represents a relatively rare, potentially fatal clinical entity. Here we describe a case of visceral leishmaniasis infection in a 65-year old Greek male with psoriatic arthritis treated with methotrexate, who presented with high grade fever, chills, splenomegaly, pancytopenia and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia. A diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis was finally established. Visceral leishmaniasis should be included in the differential diagnosis for infections in patients receiving methotrexate for rheumatic diseases, especially in endemic areas.

Visceral leishmaniasis with cutaneous symptoms in a patient treated with infliximab followed by fatal consequences.

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by parasitic flagellates of the genus Leishmania. The authors present a case of 44-year-old man with Crohn's disease treated successfully with infliximab. This case report shows rare visceral leishmaniasis with cutaneous symptoms in an immunocompromised patient. Skin manifestations may occur before or after the visceral infection and they are often diverse.

[Infectious complications in patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha: two cases of leishmaniasis]. / Complications infectieuses liées au traitement par anti-TNFα : à propos de deux cas de leishmaniose.

UNLABELLED: We report the cases of two patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha for uveitis. The first patient developed visceral leishmaniasis and the second cutaneous leishmaniasis. FIRST CASE: an 8-year-old girl was treated with corticosteroids and intravenous infliximab for juvenile idiopathic arthritis with bilateral anterior uveitis. After 12 months of treatment, she presented with fever, hepatosplenomegaly and thrombocytopenia. Visceral leishmaniasis was diagnosed, and she was treated successfully with parenteral liposomal Amphotericin-B (Ambisome(®)). Upon resolution, we re-instituted her treatment with infliximab. Second case: a 48-year-old man consulted us for severe panuveitis of the left eye with a serous retinal detachment. He was diagnosed with seronegative ankylosing spondylitis. His uveitis and arthritis were treated successfully with infliximab for 20 months, after which two cutaneous lesions appeared. The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis without visceral involvement was based on the presence of Leishmania in the skin scraping of a lesion. Intravenous infusions of infliximab were discontinued, and local treatment consisting of intralesional injections of meglumine antimonate salts (Glucantime(®)) was initiated, leading to rapid improvement. Anti-TNFα drugs are used frequently now. They appear promising in terms of efficacy, but one must carefully monitor patients for possible side effects, including infection.

[Visceral leishmaniasis, pemphigus and immunosuppressive treatment: case report from Morocco]. / Leishmaniose viscérale, pemphigus et traitement immunosuppresseur: une observation au Maroc.

Atypical forms of visceral leishmaniasis associated with immunosuppressive treatment are difficult to diagnose and cause high mortality. The purpose of this report is to describe a case involving a 42-year-old patient living in a leishmaniasis-endemic area, who was undergoing immunosuppressive treatment using corticosteroids and methotrexate for pemphigus. Despite clinical and laboratory findings consistent with visceral leishmaniasis, detection of Leishmania bodies was a coincidental finding of cytological examination of bone marrow during workup for pancytopenia and associated clinical signs. This case argues in favor of systematic screening for this opportunistic parasitic disease before undertaking immunosuppressive treatment in patients presenting risk factors and consistent clinical/laboratory findings.

Let off the leash: kala-azar following the use of tumour necrosis factor antibodies.

A 74-year-old woman with a history of psoriatic arthritis was referred to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases following investigation of a skin lesion that had failed to heal after a visit to Malta 2 years previously. Skin biopsy had revealed invasion of Leishmania amastigotes. She reported a recent history of weight loss, dry cough and dyspnoea, and was investigated for pancytopenia and hepatosplenomegaly. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis and she responded well to treatment with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B. Recent rheumatological treatment with adalimumab, a monoclonal antibody to tumour necrosis factor α, was thought to be the factor responsible for causing the cutaneous lesion to become disseminated. This case highlights an unexpected adverse effect of novel immunosuppressants. As the use of biologics becomes widespread, there is an increasing need for clinical surveillance.

Immunogenicity and efficacy of single antigen Gp63, polytope and polytopeHSP70 DNA vaccines against visceral Leishmaniasis in experimental mouse model.

Polytope approach of genetic immunization is a promising strategy for the prevention of infectious disease as it is capable of generating effective cell mediated immunity by delivering the T cell epitopes assembled in series. Leishmaniasis is a significant world wide health problem for which no vaccine exists. In this study we have compared immunogenicity and efficacy of three types of DNA vaccines: single antigen Gp63 (Gp63/pcDNA), polytope (Poly/pcDNA) and Polytope fused with hsp70 (Poly/hsp/pcDNA) against visceral leishmaniasis in susceptible BALB/c mice. Mice vaccinated with these plasmids generated strong Th1 immune response as seen by dominating IFN-gamma over IL-10 cytokine. Interestingly, cytotoxic responses generated by polytope DNA plasmid fused with hsp70 of Leishmania donovani were significantly higher when compared to polytope and single antigen Gp63 vaccine. Challenge studies revealed that the parasite load in liver and spleen was significantly lower with Poly/hsp/pcDNA vaccination compared to other vaccines. Therefore, our study indicates that polytope DNA vaccine is a feasible, practical and effective approach for visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis infection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe disease that can develop in immunocompromised patients. Antitumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can result in clinical benefits, but with an increased risk of opportunistic infections. Leishmania infection in patients treated with TNF-alpha antagonists is extremely rare; for this reason, we report a patient with VL after etanercept treatment who had an unfavorable outcome.

Leishmania infantum leishmaniasis in corticosteroid--treated patients.

BACKGROUND: The number of leishmaniasis cases associated with immunosuppression has increased regularly over the past 20 years. Immunosuppression related to HIV infection, immunosuppressive treatment, organ transplantation, and neoplastic diseases increases the risk for Leishmania-infected people to develop visceral illness. CASE PRESENTATION: Three cases of Leishmania infantum leishmaniasis in corticosteroid (CS)-treated patients are reported: an isolated lingual leishmaniasis in a farmer treated with CS for asthma, a severe visceral leishmaniasis associated with cutaneous lesions in a woman with myasthenia gravis, and a visceral involvement after cutaneous leishmaniasis in a man receiving CS. CONCLUSION: Physicians should recognise CS-treated patients as a population likely to be immune-suppressed. In immunodeficiency conditions, unusual forms of leishmaniasis can develop and foster the risk of a diagnostic delay and of poor response to therapy.

Síndrome hematofagocítico y kala-azar en un paciente con artritis reumatoide en tratamiento con metotrexato y ciclosporina / Hemophagocytic syndrome and kala-azar in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing treatment with methotrexate and cyclosporin

Presentamos un caso de artritis reumatoide complicada con pancitopenia y leishmaniasis visceral ocurrido en España. A propósito del mismo realizamos una revisión de la bibliografía sobre infecciones oportunistas en la artritis reumatoide. La leishmaniasis es un grupo de enfermedades causadas por el protozoo Leishmania, endémica en la cuenca mediterránea y de carácter oportunista y emergente en pacientes inmunodeprimidos. El uso de bajas dosis de metrotexato y ciclosporina en el tratamiento de la artritis reumatoide induce una modificación en los patrones de defensa natural ante parásitos intracelulares e incrementa, por tanto, el riesgo de aparición de leishmaniasis visceral (kala-azar), en zonas endémicas (AU)