Lower trypanosomatids in HIV/AIDS patients

Abstract

Although the family Trypanosomatidae includes parasites of plants, insects and vertebrates, only two genera in the family, Leishmania and Trypanosoma, are usually found in humans. Since 1995, however, other monoxenous trypanosomatids have been isolated from several HIV-positive individuals, in whom the parasites cause either visceral or cutaneous lesions. These odd cases are reviewed here. It appears that immunocompromised patients may be vulnerable to infection with trypanosomatids (and other parasites) that either fail to survive or never cause detectable morbidity in the immunocompetent. The family Trypanosomatidae includes several entirely dermotropic in immunocompetent genera which undergo cyclical development in patients are causing visceral leishmaniasis both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Such (VL) in HIV-positive patients (Campino digenetic parasites include the Leishmania et al., 1994; Jiménez et al., 1995; Gramiccia and Trypanosoma species that cause disease et al., 1995). Perhaps more surprisingly, in humans and other mammals. The Phyto- some zymodemes of Lei. infantum have only monas species that parasitise lactiferous plants, ever been found in cases of Leishmania/HIV the Endotrypanum species that infect two- co-infection, and not in immunocompetent and three-toed sloths, and the so-called humans or dogs (Alvar et al., 1997). Althoug