IMMUNOHAEMATOLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN AL KHARJ AREA, SAUDI ARABIA KINGDOM

Haemoglobin levels, total and differential white blood cells count, platelets count, blood urea, total plasma protein and percentages of serum albumin and globulins were determined in 100 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in an attempt to investigate their haematological status and detect any abnormality that could occur in those patients with chronic severe course of the disease.
Mild anaemia, leukocytosis with significant increase of neutrophils (81%), thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminaemia together with hypergammaglobulinaemia were detected in these patients. It apears that the compensatory hyperplas ia of the spleen in non immune persons with chronic severe untreated cases is the possible factor which might influence the blood cells. Leukocy tosis is contributed to the concurrent sepsis of the lesions.
In addition, serum immunoglobulins IgA, IgG, IgM and Ige levels were deter mined in 22 Egyptians and 28 Indians selected from the patient populations to assess their immune system. IgG, IgM and Ige levels were found to be significantly increased (P
0.001, for each). These changes could be explained as the body's physiolo gical immune response to chronic infection. So, Immunoglobulins did not have any clinical relevance as diagnostic markers for screening these patients, which is mainly due to their low specificity, but it may provide important information-in addition to blood studies - in monitoring response to therapy and predicting relapse of the cured cases or its development into other forms.