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Transcriptional Alterations of Virulence Factors in Leishmania Major Clinical Isolates Harboring Leishmania Rna Virus 2 (Lrv2) Publisher Pubmed



Sabeti S1 ; Koosha M2 ; Kazemirad E1 ; Mirabedini Z1 ; Mohebali M1 ; Saberi R3 ; Fakhar M4, 5 ; Hajjaran H1
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Communicable Disease Institute, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Science, Sari, Iran
  4. 4. Iranian National Registry Center for Lophomoniasis and Toxoplasmosis, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran

Source: BMC Infectious Diseases Published:2025


Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by an intracellular protozoan, Leishmania. Various factors, including host immunity and the Leishmania species, influence the manifestation and severity of the disease. Recent investigations have shed light on the potentially significant role of Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) in the clinical prognosis of leishmaniasis. This study aims to investigate the influence of LRV2 + on various pathogenic genes of Leishmania. Materials and methods: In this study, 35 Leishmania isolates were obtained from patients diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Leishmania species and the presence of LRV2 + were identified with the PCR-RFLP and semi-nested PCR methods, respectively. Additionally, the RNA expression levels of cysteine protease (CP), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), heat shock protein 83 (HSP83), glycoprotein 63 (GP63), and mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI) were assessed in LRV2 + and LRV2- Leishmania clinical isolates using RT-qPCR. Results: Out of the 35 isolates, 20 were selected from CL patients, all confirmed as Leishmania major. These isolates were divided into two groups, LRV2 + and LRV2-, with 10 isolates in each group. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that HSP83, MPI, and GP63 gene expression levels were statistically upregulated in LRV2 + isolates compared to LRV2- isolates (P < 0.05). Although HSP70 and CP genes showed slight up-regulation in LRV2 + isolates, it was not statistically significant compared to LRV2- isolates. Conclusion: The notable increase in gene expression levels, particularly for GP63, HSP83, and MPI genes, suggests that the presence of LRV2 + may significantly influence the expression of these factors in L. major clinical isolates. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. © The Author(s) 2025.
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