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Objective: There exist various diagnostic tests to detect visceral leishmaniasis, but the most efficient ones have not been demonstrated yet. Herein, we evaluated the accuracy of these diagnostic tests in Iran. Methodology: English and Persian database searching was done from 1993 to 2016. According to heterogeneity of the studies, estimations of the study were pooled by random-effects model. Totally, twenty investigations were eligible for current review with 2115 patients as pooled sample size. Results: The overall pooled estimate of sensitivity and specificity for all diagnostic tests were 0.92 ([95% CI = 0.90-0.95]) and 0.92 ([95% CI = 0.89-0.94]), respectively. Also, the separate sensitivity and specificity of each test were as follow: PCR: 1.00 ([95% CI = 0.99-1.01]) and 0.37 ([95% CI = 0.25-0.49]); DAT: 0.93 ([95% CI = 0.89-0.96]) and 0.92 ([95% CI = 0.89-0.94]); ELISA: 0.78 ([95% CI = 0.47-1.09]) and 1.00 ([95% CI = 0.99-1.01]) as well as IFA: 0.50 ([95% CI = 0.29-0.72]) and 0.96 ([95% CI = 0.95-0.97]). Conclusions: The specificity and sensitivity of PCR and DAT as molecular and serological tests, respectively, are remarkable to detect visceral leishmaniasis; hence, it is highly recommended to simultaneously employ these diagnostic tests for this widespread infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar is an important parasitic diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania including L. donovani, L. infantum. Epidemiological evidences show that VL is frequently common in some areas of Jahrom district in Fars Province. This study aimed to characterize the causative agent of VL in this region. Materials and Methods: Bone marrow sample was obtained from 16 VL patients from Pediatric hospital in Jahrom town. DNA was extracted from the microscopic slides and checked by specific PCR to find out the species of the parasite. To do it, a segment of minicirclekinetoplast DNA was amplified, using LINR4 and LIN17 primers. Products of PCR were evaluated by electrophoresis, using 1.5% agarose. Results: Anti-leishmania antibody was detected in all patients by IFAT. Examination of bone marrow smears demonstrated numerous amastigotes ofLeishmania (Leishman bodies) in the samples. All the samples produced a 720 bp band in PCR assay. The isolates were compared with reference strains and revealed that all the isolates are L. infantum. Conclusion: Our findings showed that species characterization with one-step PCR by L1N17 and L1NR4 is simple and fast; it was also confirmed that the causative agent of VL in Jahrom is L. infantum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]