Renal involvement in leishmaniasis: a review of the literature

Leishmaniasis, an infectious disease endemic in tropical, Asian and southern European countries, is caused by obligate intramacrophage protozoa and is transmitted through the bite of infected female sandflies. More than 20 leishmanial species are responsible for four main clinical syndromes: cutaneous leishmaniasis; mucocutaneous leishmaniasis; visceral leishmaniasis, also known as kala-azar, and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. Visceral leishmaniasis can present with varying clinical features and the kidney can also be involved. Both glomerular and tubular function can be altered and patients can develop proteinuria, haematuria, abnormalities in urinary concentration and acidification and acute and chronic renal insufficiency. Not only the disease itself but also the therapy administered might be responsible for the renal involvement in kala-azar. Indeed, some of the agents with efficiency against visceral leishmaniasis, such as pentavalent antimonial drugs, amphotericin B, pentamidine, miltefosine, paromomycin and simataquine, may be associated with a high risk of renal toxicity. In this article, the literature on renal involvement in visceral leishmaniasis is reviewed.