RESUMO
Parasitic co-infections are common in developing countries and can interfere with leprosy treatment, leading to an increased risk of inflammatory leprosy reactions. This study assessed serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels against Toxoplasma gondii and Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) antigens in 270 leprosy patients from Brazilian states. Regarding the respective cut-offs, the prevalence of IgG seropositivity for T. gondii and VL were 21.05â¯% and 47.36â¯% in the leprosy-negative group, and 77.7â¯% and 52.6â¯% in the leprosy-positive group. Of the 270 leprosy patients, 158 (58.5â¯%) presented with inflammatory leprosy reactions. Of those, 72 (59.5â¯%) had neuritis, 35 (48.6â¯%) had reverse reactions, and 28 (38.9â¯%) had ENL in both Brazilian states. Leprosy patients with anti-Leishmania IgG seropositivity were 3.25 times more likely to develop neuritis (95â¯% C.I.: 1.187 - 9.154; p = 0.019). These findings are particularly relevant for clinical settings where both leprosy and parasitic diseases are prevalent and could provide essential guidance for detecting and addressing complications arising from parasitic co-infections in leprosy patients, thereby improving clinical management strategies.