Evaluation of Suspected Leishmania Samples in University Hospital Laboratory Between 2001 and 2013

Objective: Leishmaniasis, Leishmania spp., is a zoonotic parasitosis transmitted by Phlebotomus species. It has many vertebrate vectors and is common in Central and South American regions, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. It is also common in the Southeastern Anatolian region of Turkey, including the Eastern Mediterranean. In this study, serum samples of patients with suspected visceral leishmaniasis sent to our laboratory were evaluated retrospectively to determine the prevalence of anti-Leishmania IgG. Materials and Methods: This study included serum samples taken from patients admitted to various departments between 2001 and 2013 at university hospital. One-hundred eighteen serum samples were included. Leishmania- IgG were determined with an ELISA (NovaTec, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results: Of the 118 suspected cases, 70 (59%) were male and 48 (41%) were female. Fifty-three (45%) of these patients were younger than 18 years. Most samples were submitted by paediatric departments, followed by internal medicine clinics. Four (80%) of the cases, who tested positive were children and one (20%) was an adult. Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained bone marrow smears of the Leishmania IgG ELISA-positive patients revealed amastigotes of L. donovani. Conclusion: Leishmaniasis may present with a variety of clinical symptoms. Hepatosplenomegaly should be considered in Leishmania cases, especially in those aged 18 years and younger who present with fever. The use of the Leishmania-IgG ELISA can be advantageous for rapid diagnosis.