The impact of diabetes on cutaneous leishmaniasis: a case-control field assessment.

This study aimed to assess the associated-risk determinants for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to patients without DM. This case–control study was performed between 2017 and 2019 in southeastern Iran. Overall, 206 participants were selected from patients with DM without CL (11.2%), patients with CL without DM (6.2%), and DM patients concomitance with CL (27.6%) as case groups and healthy individuals as a control group 64 (76%). These cases were compared for parasitological, immunological, biochemical, and hematological parameters. The findings demonstrated that parasitological factors regarding the number, duration, and size of the lesion in CL patients showed a significant difference among patients with and without DM (p < 0.05). Data analysis showed that six major risk factors, including female (odds ratio (OR) = 3.47, confidence interval (CI) = 1.84–6.53, p < 0.001), total protein in CL group (OR = 4.9, CI = 2.3–10.44, p < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration in CL group (OR = 0.87, CI = 0.81–0.93, p < 0.001) and DM co-infected with CL group (OR = 0.8, CI = 0.72–0.88, p < 0.001) than healthy group, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentration in DM group (OR = 0.86, CI = 0.76–0.98, p = 0.02), transforming growth factor beta)TGF-β( level in the CL group (OR = 1.03, CI = 1.003–1.05, p = 0.02), and presence of diabetes disease (OR = 2.07, CI = 1.16–3.7, p < 0.05), were significantly linked with the induction of CL lesion. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between DM and CL in distinct risk determinants. Also, the study revealed that DM enhanced the severity of active CL.