CD4 and AIDS: Leishmania parasite amastigote surface molecules additionally enhance HIV transcription rate, further suppressing the immune system, lowering CD4 counts, and causing them to progress more rapidly to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).31 Moreover, our study did not consider that HIV immunosuppression increases susceptibility to Leishmania infection, thereby increasing the prevalence of Leishmania infection, and that the presence of CL can subsequently worsen HIV infection.