Diagnostic usefulness of immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of CD1a and CD68 biomarkers for cutaneous leishmaniasis

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is the only neglected disease that keeps progressing and spreading in many environmental conditions. Approximately two million new cases in various clinical manifestations occur yearly, putting more than 350 million people at risk of developing the disease. It represents one of the endemic diseases in Iraq. This study aims to use immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of CD1a and CD68 in 15 healthy individuals and 45 leishmaniasis patients treated at different hospitals in a Thi-Qar Governorate method. CD1a1 and CD68 expression was increased significantly in leishmaniasis patients compared to the control group (P=0.0325 &0.0022), respectively. The results suggest that both proteins might encourage the development or aggressiveness of leishmaniasis. A further study is also required to clarify the role of these proteins and determine if they could serve as biomarkers for leishmaniasis