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Urgent Need for Leishmania-Specific Donor Screening and Recipient Monitoring in Brazil

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers have highlighted the pressing need for improved regulatory measures to prevent the transmission of Leishmaniasis through organ transplantation in Brazil. A recent study published in the Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo examined the prevalence of anti-Leishmania IgG antibodies and Leishmania spp. infections among Brazilian kidney transplant recipients and their living donors. The findings demonstrate a high prevalence of Leishmania infections among donors and recipients, underscoring the importance of targeted serological tests and close observation of signs and symptoms.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study recruited 48 donor-recipient pairs from July 14, 2022, to December 18, 2023, and observed a high prevalence of Leishmania infections among donors and recipients.
  • Of the 48 donors, 25 (52.1%, 95%CI: 38.3-65.5) tested positive for Leishmania major-like antibodies using ELISA, while 4 (8.3%, 95%CI: 2.8-20.1) tested positive for rLb6H-ELISA.
  • Before transplantation, 31 recipients (64.6%, 95%CI: 50.4-76.6) were positive for Leishmania major-like antibodies using ELISA.
  • The researchers concluded that regulatory measures are urgently needed to implement Leishmania-specific donor screening and recipient monitoring using PCR and targeted serological tests.
  • The study highlights the importance of close observation of signs and symptoms of leishmaniasis in transplant recipients.

Statistics:

  • 48 donor-recipient pairs were recruited for the study.
  • 25 (52.1%, 95%CI: 38.3-65.5) of 48 donors tested positive for Leishmania major-like antibodies using ELISA.
  • 4 (8.3%, 95%CI: 2.8-20.1) of 48 donors tested positive for rLb6H-ELISA.
  • 31 (64.6%, 95%CI: 50.4-76.6) of 48 recipients tested positive for Leishmania major-like antibodies using ELISA.

Sources:

  • "Screening for anti-Leishmania antibodies and Leishmania infections in kidney transplant recipients and donors from Brazil." Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, 2025;67.
  • Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo can be contacted at: Inst Medicina Tropical Sao Paulo, Av Dr Eneas Carvalho De Aguiar, 470, C Cesar, Sao Paulo, 05403-000, Brazil.
  • The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Maria Carmen Arroyo Sanchez, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Faculty of Medicine, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Laboratorio de Soroepidemiologia e Imunobiologia, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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