After two peaks of epidemic of Kala Azar, one in 1977 with 100,000 cases(l) and another in 1991-92 with 250,000 cases(2), the disease continues to be endemic in North Bihar The first line drug sodium antimony shbogluconate (SAG) used in the dosage of 20 mg/kg body weight daily for 30 days(3) or 40 days(4) has become less effective and a number of patients are unresponsive to the drug(5) Oral Fl...

Pentavalent antimonials (SbV) have been successfully used for treatment of kala-azar since last six decades. Since 1970s its conventional dosages have failed to achieve with 60 per cent unresponsiveness reported with WHO regimen in Bihar (India). Pentamidine initially used as a second line of drug, acquired resistance (25%) even with prolonged dosage. Newer oral drug miltefosine is a potent ant...

BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is a parasitic disease caused by the species of Leishmania donovani complex. It is endemic in some parts of provinces of Iran. According to the reported cases of VL in Kermanshah Province in recent years, this study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of VL in high risk villages of the province. METHODS Totally, 1622 serum samples ...

INTRODUCTION Kala-azar is a disease resulting from infection by Leishmania donovani and Leishmania infantum. Most patients with the disease exhibit prolonged fever, wasting, anemia and hepatosplenomegaly without complications. However, some patients develop severe disease with hemorrhagic manifestations, bacterial infections, jaundice, and edema dyspnea, among other symptoms, followed by death....

Hydroxystilbamidine or 4 : 4'-diamidino 2-hydroxy-stilbene di-jS-hydroxy-ethane sulphonate was first used by the writer for the treatment of kala-azar in 1948 and 1949 and a paper based on the results of treatment of the first six cases published (Sen Gupta, 1949). All the six cases treated had recovered and had remained free from all symptoms of kala-azar for 5, 5, 5, 4}2-, 34, and 3 months re...

Technologies that delivery antigen-encoded plasmid DNA (pDNA) to antigen presenting cell and their immune-activation are required for the success of DNA vaccines. Here we report on an artificial nanoparticle that can achieve these; a multifunctional envelope-type nanodevice modified with KALA, a peptide that forms α-helical structure at physiological pH (KALA-MEND). KALA modification and the re...

The difficulty of treatment of kala-azar when associated with pulmonary tuberculosis has been recognized by all workers who have come across such cases. Napier (1937) considered pulmonary tuberculosis and kala-azar to be a fatal combination. He had observed that when kalaazar and pulmonary tuberculosis co-existed, antimony treatment had little or no effect on the symptoms, fever and splenic enl...

The efficacy of antimony in the treatment of kala azar was established before the period covered by these observations. China gave antimony to the world2, but the honour of its successful introduction and application in the treatment of kala azar belongs chiefly to Napier and to Brahmachari of India. The compounds of antimony now in use for the treatment of kala azar are direct results of the c...

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania transmitted by insects of the genus Lutzomyia sp. or Phlebotomus sp. The main syndromes are cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. This article reviews kidney involvement in cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, highlighting...