Nutritional Intake and Chronicity Associated with the Old World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Role of Vitamin A

Background: old world cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl) is known as a self-healing cutaneous parasitic infection. host immunity has a fundamental role in the course of this infection. this study was designed to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and vitamin a intake with the clinical course of cl. methods: overall, 250 patients with cl attending a dermatology clinic in imam reza hospital mashhad, iran, were enrolled from apr 2011 to aug 2012. for data gathering, a semi-quantitative 302-item food frequency questionnaire was utilized. they received routine treatment protocols for leishmaniasis and 1 year of follow-up. results: as for the 149 patients who completed the study, a deficiency of macro and micronutrients, particularly vitamin a, was significantly related to a chronic clinical disease course. conclusion: imbalanced or insufficient nutritional intake including vitamin a deficiency, may influence the clinical course of cl.