First Molecular Evidence of Emerging Lophomonas Pathogen Among Patients Suspected of Having Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran.

Purpose: Lophomoniasis is a chronic protozoan respiratory disease in humans with main clinical symptoms such as chronic cough, productive sputum, breath shortness, and occasionally hemoptysis. Differentiation diagnosis of lophomoniasis from tuberculosis (TB) and asthma is crucial.

Methods: In this study, 210 participants with suspected TB referred to tuberculosis laboratories in Mazandaran province, northeastern Iran, were enrolled during 2021. All patients showed low grade fever, chronic cough or sputum on referral. Sputum specimens were collected from the participants, and Lophomonas DNA was detected through a conventional genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results: Out of 210 participants, 67 (31.9%) had Lophomonas spp., infection, 38 (18.1%) had TB (Smear and culture-positive), and 20 (9.5%) had both TB and Lophomonas co-infection.

Conclusion: Based on our results, a relatively high occurrence of Lophomonas infection was found among patients suspected of having TB. Accordingly, due to the high similarity of clinical symptoms between both pulmonary diseases, it is highly recommended to accurately and early diagnose the parasite in the sputum specimen.