Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vets diagnose canine leishmaniosis with blood tests and DNA checks
By Maria Paola Maurelli et al.·Published in Veterinary Sciences·2020·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Clinical, Molecular and Serological Diagnosis of Canine Leishmaniosis: An Integrated Approach
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected of having leishmaniosis, a disease caused by a parasite, were examined for symptoms like swollen lymph nodes and changes in blood protein levels. The researchers tested various methods to diagnose the disease, finding that the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was the most accurate, identifying nearly all positive cases. They also discovered that using fine-needle aspiration from lymph nodes was the best way to collect samples for testing. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test showed promising results for quick diagnosis, suggesting it could be a useful tool in the future.
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Abstract
Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is caused by protozoans of the genus <i>Leishmania</i> and characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical signs in dogs. Early diagnosis is of great importance in order to perform an appropriate therapy and to prevent progression towards severe disease. The aim of this study was to compare a point-of-care molecular technique, i.e., the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (Rt-PCR), and three serological techniques, i.e., immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a rapid SNAP <i>Leishmania</i> test, to develop an integrated approach for the diagnosis of CanL. Sixty dogs were chosen after physical examination and collection of blood and sera samples, fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes, and conjunctival swabs were performed. Lymphadenopathy (82.3%), as well as clinicopathological alterations of total proteins (70.6%), were the most frequent signs. Forty-one (68.3%) samples resulted positive at least to one technique. IFAT resulted in the best serological diagnostic method (specificity = 100%, sensitivity = 97.2%), detecting a higher number of positive samples than those revealed by other techniques. Among the samples used for molecular analysis, fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes was revealed as the best sample source. LAMP showed a substantial agreement (<i>κ</i> = 0.80; <i>p</i> <0.0001) with Rt-PCR; therefore, it could be promising for the rapid diagnosis of CanL. Nevertheless, further studies should be performed to confirm these findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci7020043