Visceral leishmaniasis in a lung transplant recipient: usefulness of highly sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction for preemptive diagnosis

O Opota; Z Balmpouzis; C Berutto; J Kaiser-Guignard; G Greub; J-D Aubert; G Prod'hom; O Manuel; K Jaton

doi:10.1111/tid.12585

Visceral leishmaniasis in a lung transplant recipient: usefulness of highly sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction for preemptive diagnosis

Transpl Infect Dis. 2016 Oct;18(5):801-804. doi: 10.1111/tid.12585. Epub 2016 Sep 16.

Authors

O Opota¹, Z Balmpouzis², C Berutto³, J Kaiser-Guignard⁴, G Greub^{1

5}, J-D Aubert^{2

3}, G Prod'hom¹, O Manuel^{6

7}, K Jaton¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Pneumology Service, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Transplantation Center, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Hematology Service, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Infectious Diseases Service, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Transplantation Center, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. oriol.manuel@chuv.ch.
⁷ Infectious Diseases Service, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. oriol.manuel@chuv.ch.

PMID: 27495987
DOI: 10.1111/tid.12585

Abstract

We report the case of a lung transplant recipient in whom the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was made by detection of parasites in a peripheral blood smear when the parasite load already reached 8.9 × 10³ parasites/mL. We demonstrated that the VL diagnosis could have been done months before the development of symptoms by the use of Leishmania-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), suggesting the role of preemptive PCR-based diagnosis in transplant recipients at risk for VL.

Keywords: kinetoplastic DNA; leishmaniasis; lung transplant; preemptive diagnosis; real-time polymerase chain reaction; solid organ transplant.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Amphotericin B / administration & dosage
Amphotericin B / therapeutic use*
Antiprotozoal Agents / administration & dosage
Antiprotozoal Agents / therapeutic use*
DNA, Protozoan / isolation & purification*
Early Diagnosis
Humans
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / surgery*
Leishmania / isolation & purification*
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / blood
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / diagnosis*
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / drug therapy
Leishmaniasis, Visceral / parasitology
Lung Transplantation / adverse effects*
Male
Middle Aged
Parasite Load
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Sensitivity and Specificity
Transplant Recipients

Substances

Antiprotozoal Agents
DNA, Protozoan
liposomal amphotericin B
Amphotericin B