Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

"Homa Hajjaran"

Original Articles

Genetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Iranian Leishmania Parasites Based on HSP70 Gene PCR-RFLP and Sequence Analysis: Sara Nemati, Asghar Fazaeli, Homa Hajjaran, Ali Khamesipour, Mohsen Falahati Anbaran, Arezoo Bozorgomid, Fatah Zarei; Korean J Parasitol 2017;55(4):367-374.
Published online August 31, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2017.55.4.367

Abstract
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Despite the broad distribution of leishmaniasis among Iranians and animals across the country, little is known about the genetic characteristics of the causative agents. Applying both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Leishmania spp. isolated from Iranian endemic foci and available reference strains. A total of 36 Leishmania isolates from almost all districts across the country were genetically analyzed for the HSP70 gene using both PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis. The original HSP70 gene sequences were aligned along with homologous Leishmania sequences retrieved from NCBI, and subjected to the phylogenetic analysis. Basic parameters of genetic diversity were also estimated. The HSP70 PCR-RFLP presented 3 different electrophoretic patterns, with no further intraspecific variation, corresponding to 3 Leishmania species available in the country, L. tropica, L. major, and L. infantum. Phylogenetic analyses presented 5 major clades, corresponding to 5 species complexes. Iranian lineages, including L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum, were distributed among 3 complexes L. major, L. tropica, and L. donovani. However, within the L. major and L. donovani species complexes, the HSP70 phylogeny was not able to distinguish clearly between the L. major and L. turanica isolates, and between the L. infantum, L. donovani, and L. chagasi isolates, respectively. Our results indicated that both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses are medically applicable tools for identification of Leishmania species in Iranian patients. However, the reduced genetic diversity of the target gene makes it inevitable that its phylogeny only resolves the major groups, namely, the species complexes.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Existing and newly emerging human cutaneous Leishmania isolates in Ethiopia: a systematic review
Abiy Ayele Angelo, Getu Girmay, Dereje Mengesha Berta, Bisrat Birke Teketelew, Elias Chane, Negesse Cherie, Muluneh Assefa, Zufan Yiheyis Abriham, Mebratu Tamir
Discover Medicine.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Update on the Seroepidemiology of Human Cystic Echinococcosis and Associated Risk Factors in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Nashmin Mohemmi, Mohammad Taghi Khodayari, Seyed Ahmad Karamati, Mohammad Reza Shiee, Hossein Effatpanah, Afshin Davari, Ali Reza Ghorbani, Arezoo Bozorgomid
Health Science Reports.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Genetic Diversity and Chromosomal Variations in the Iranian Leishmania major Strain: Insights into Pathogenicity and Drug Resistance
Hanieh Sharifian, Anis Khalafiyan, Mahmood Fadaie, Hossein Khanahmad, Zabihollah Shahmoradi, Erfan Zaker, Parisa Mousavi, Nadia Pourmoshir, Azadeh Zolfaghari
Advanced Biomedical Research.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Genetic diversity and epidemiological insights into cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan: a comprehensive study on clinical manifestations and molecular characterization of Leishmania species
Shumaila Naz, Muhammed Nalcaci, Obaid Hayat, Seray Toz, Azhar Minhas, Shahid Waseem, Yusuf Ozbel
Parasitology Research.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Assessment of genetic markers for multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of Fasciola isolates from Iran
Naser Nazari, Mohamad Bagher Rokni, Madoka Ichikawa‐Seki, Saber Raeghi, Homa Hajjaran, Shahab Falahi, Yazdan Hamzavi, Peyman Heydarian, Afshin Davari, Keyphobad Ghadiri, Arezoo Bozorgomid
Veterinary Medicine and Science.2023; 9(2): 924. CrossRef
Real‐time impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on cutaneous leishmaniasis case finding and strategic planning, preventive interventions, control and epidemiology in a region with a high burden of cutaneous leishmaniasis and COVID‐19: A cross‐sectional descriptive
Morteza Shams, Ayoub Rashidi, Jasem Mohamadi, Mohamad Moradi, Reza Pakzad, Razi Naserifar, Jahangir Abdi, Fariba Ghelichi, Arezoo Bozorgomid, Nahid Maspi, Azra Kenarkoohi, Yasin Mohammadi, Amir Abdoli, Shahab Falahi
Health Science Reports.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
An overview of the trypanosomatid (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) parasites infecting several mammal species in Colombia
Adriana C. Castillo-Castañeda, Luz H. Patiño, Maria Fernanda Zuñiga, Omar Cantillo-Barraza, Martha S. Ayala, Maryi Segura, Jessica Bautista, Plutarco Urbano, Jeiczon Jaimes-Dueñez, Juan David Ramírez
Parasites & Vectors.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Taxonomy, Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Iranian Leishmania Strains of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis
Sara Nemati, Homa Hajjaran, Soudabeh Heydari, Asghar Fazaeli, Ali Khamesipour, Mohsen Falahati Anbaran, Mehdi Mohebali, Hamed Mirjalali
Acta Parasitologica.2021; 66(4): 1274. CrossRef
The Geographical Distribution of Human Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmania Species Identified by Molecular Methods in Iran: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Homa Hajjaran, Reza Saberi, Alireza Borjian, Mahdi Fakhar, Seyed Abdollah Hosseini, Sajjad Ghodrati, Mehdi Mohebali
Frontiers in Public Health.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Development of a Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Pan-Leishmania
Juan Jose Lauthier, Paula Ruybal, Paola Andrea Barroso, Yoshihisa Hashiguchi, Jorge Diego Marco, Masataka Korenaga
Acta Tropica.2020; 201: 105189. CrossRef
Isolation and Molecular Identification of Leishmania spp. in Patients With Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Golestan Province, Iran
Ali Fattahi Bafghi, Gilda Eslami, Oghol Niazjorjani, Farzaneh Mirzaei, Javad Namrodi
International Journal of Epidemiologic Research.2019; 6(1): 8. CrossRef
Description of Leishmania species among dogs and humans in Colombian Visceral Leishmaniasis outbreaks
Giovanny Herrera, Adriana Higuera, Luz Helena Patiño, Martha S. Ayala, Juan David Ramírez
Infection, Genetics and Evolution.2018; 64: 135. CrossRef
Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Qasr-e Shirin, a border area in the west of Iran
Yazdan Hamzavi, Naser Nazari, Nahid Khademi, Keivan Hassani, Arezoo Bozorgomid
Veterinary World.2018; : 1692. CrossRef

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13 Web of Science
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Visceral Leishmaniasis in Rural Areas of Alborz Province of Iran and Implication to Health Policy: Aliehsan Heidari, Mehdi Mohebali, Kourosh Kabir, Hojatallah Barati, Yousef Soultani, Hossein Keshavarz, Behnaz Akhoundi, Homa Hajjaran, Hosein Reisi; Korean J Parasitol 2015;53(4):379-383.
Published online August 25, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.4.379

Abstract
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Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar mainly affects children in endemic areas. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL using direct agglutination test (DAT) in children living in rural districts of Alborz Province located 30 km from Tehran capital city of Iran. Multi-stage cluster random sampling was applied. Blood samples were randomly collected from 1,007 children under 10 years of age in the clusters. A total of 37 (3.7%) of the studied population showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies with titers of ≥1:800. There was a significant association between positive sera and various parts of the rural areas of Alborz Province (P<0.002). Two children with anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies titers of ≥1:3,200 indicated kala-azar clinical features and treated with anti-leishmaniasis drugs in pediatric hospital. The findings of this study indicated that Leishmania infection is prevalent in rural areas of Alborz Province. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the awareness and alertness among physicians and public health managers, particularly in high-risk rural areas of the province in Iran.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of Leishmania infantum in sandflies in Iran
Sara Rahimi, Homa Arshadi, Hamid Reza Shoraka, Aioub Sofizadeh, Arman Latifi
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine.2024; 17(11): 491. CrossRef
Unraveling the role of natural killer cells in leishmaniasis
Zahra Alizadeh, Pooya Omidnia, Farag M.A. Altalbawy, Gamal A. Gabr, Rasha Fadhel Obaid, Narges Rostami, Saeed Aslani, Aliehsan Heidari, Hamed Mohammadi
International Immunopharmacology.2023; 114: 109596. CrossRef
Prevalence of human visceral leishmaniasis in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Mosayeb Rostamian, Homayoon Bashiri, Vahid Yousefinejad, Arezoo Bozorgomid, Nasrollah Sohrabi, Saber Raeghi, Mohammad Taghi Khodayari, Keyghobad Ghadiri, Shahab Rezaeian
Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.2021; 75: 101604. CrossRef
Seroepidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis among free-roaming dogs and children in Zahedan city, southeast of Iran, 2018–2020
Baharak Akhtardanesh, Mahshid Mostafavi, Javad Khedri, Ayoob Fakhri, Iraj Sharifi, Mehdi Khoshsima Shahraki
Microbial Pathogenesis.2021; 161: 105234. CrossRef
Seroepidemiological study on visceral leishmaniasis in an endemic focus of central Iran during 2017
Leyli Zanjirani Farahani, Mehdi Mohebali, Behnaz Akhoundi, Abedin Saghafipour, Zahra Kakooei
Journal of Parasitic Diseases.2019; 43(1): 22. CrossRef
Paediatric visceral leishmaniasis: a retrospective study on clinical manifestations, demographic features and laboratory findings of hospitalised cases in Iran between 2006 and 2016
Manijeh Nourian, Aliehsan Heidari, Saleheh Tajali, Erfan Ghasemi, Mehdi Mohebali, Amir Heidari
Tropical Doctor.2019; 49(1): 59. CrossRef
Population structures of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica the causative agents of kala-azar in Southwest Iran
Mohammad Amin Ghatee, Hossein Mirhendi, Mehdi Karamian, Walter R. Taylor, Iraj Sharifi, Massood Hosseinzadeh, Zahra Kanannejad
Parasitology Research.2018; 117(11): 3447. CrossRef
Autoantibodies in a Three-Year-Old Girl with Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall
Gholamreza Pouladfar, Zahra Jafarpour, Amir Hossein Babaei, Bahman Pourabbas, Bita Geramizadeh, Anahita Sanaei Dashti
Case Reports in Infectious Diseases.2016; 2016: 1. CrossRef

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108 Download
16 Web of Science
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Overexpression of Ubiquitin and Amino Acid Permease Genes in Association with Antimony Resistance in Leishmania tropica Field Isolates: Elham Kazemi-Rad, Mehdi Mohebali, Mohammad Bagher Khadem-Erfan, Homa Hajjaran, Ramtin Hadighi, Ali Khamesipour, Sassan Rezaie, Mojtaba Saffari, Reza Raoofian, Mansour Heidari; Korean J Parasitol 2013;51(4):413-419.
Published online August 30, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2013.51.4.413

Abstract
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The mainstay therapy against leishmaniasis is still pentavalent antimonial drugs; however, the rate of antimony resistance is increasing in endemic regions such as Iran. Understanding the molecular basis of resistance to antimonials could be helpful to improve treatment strategies. This study aimed to recognize genes involved in antimony resistance of Leishmania tropica field isolates. Sensitive and resistant L. tropica parasites were isolated from anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis patients and drug susceptibility of parasites to meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®) was confirmed using in vitro assay. Then, complementary DNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) and real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) approaches were utilized on mRNAs from resistant and sensitive L. tropica isolates. We identified 2 known genes, ubiquitin implicated in protein degradation and amino acid permease (AAP3) involved in arginine uptake. Also, we identified 1 gene encoding hypothetical protein. Real-time RT-PCR revealed a significant upregulation of ubiquitin (2.54-fold), and AAP3 (2.86-fold) (P<0.05) in a resistant isolate compared to a sensitive one. Our results suggest that overexpression of ubiquitin and AAP3 could potentially implicated in natural antimony resistance.

Citations

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International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance.2025; 29: 100623. CrossRef
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Parasites & Vectors.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
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Journal of Proteins and Proteomics.2022; 13(1): 17. CrossRef
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Vaccines.2022; 10(2): 231. CrossRef
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Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
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Foods.2022; 11(16): 2450. CrossRef
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Experimental Parasitology.2022; 242: 108395. CrossRef
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Comparison of Cysteine Protease B Gene Expression between Clinical Isolates of Leishmania tropica, Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum
Elham Kazemirad, Hossien Reisi Nafchi, Alireza Latifi, Reza Raoofian, Mehdi Mohebali, Homa Hajjaran
Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.2019; 7(3): 72. CrossRef
Use of AFLP for the study of eukaryotic pathogens affecting humans
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Infection, Genetics and Evolution.2018; 63: 360. CrossRef
Expression analysis of viscerotropic leishmaniasis gene in Leishmania species by real-time RT-PCR
Hossein Reisi Nafchi, Elham Kazemi-Rad, Mehdi Mohebali, Reza Raoofian, Niloofar Bavarsad Ahmadpour, Mohammad Ali Oshaghi, Homa Hajjaran
Acta Parasitologica.2016;[Epub] CrossRef
Expression analysis of activated protein kinase C gene (LACK1) in antimony sensitive and resistant Leishmania tropica clinical isolates using real‐time RT‐PCR
Homa Hajjaran, Elham Kazemi‐Rad, Mehdi Mohebali, Mohammad A. Oshaghi, Mohammad B. Khadem‐Erfan, Elham Hajaliloo, Hossein Reisi Nafchi, Reza Raoofian
International Journal of Dermatology.2016; 55(9): 1020. CrossRef
Visceral Leishmaniasis without Fever in an 11-Month-Old Infant: a Rare Clinical Feature of Kala-azar
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The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2014; 52(2): 189. CrossRef