Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Leishmania infantum parasite levels in dog bone marrow lymph nodes
By Ramos, Rafael Antonio Nascimento et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2013·Università, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Quantification of Leishmania infantum DNA in the bone marrow, lymph node and spleen of dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 24 dogs that tested positive for Leishmania infantum, a parasite that can cause serious health issues, were examined after being euthanized. Most of these dogs showed symptoms of illness, while a few were asymptomatic. Tests revealed that the parasite was found in all dogs' bone marrow and lymph nodes, and in nearly all spleens. Although the amount of parasite DNA varied among the dogs, it was not clear which sample type was best for diagnosis. This study highlights the importance of monitoring dogs for signs of Leishmania infection, especially in areas where the parasite is common.
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Abstract
The aim of the present study was to quantify the parasite load of Leishmania infantum in dogs using real-time PCR (qPCR). Bone marrow, lymph node and spleen samples were taken from 24 dogs serologically positive for L. infantum that had been put down by the official epidemiological surveillance service. According to the clinical signs the dogs were classified as asymptomatic or symptomatic. After DNA extraction, the samples were subjected to qPCR to detect and quantify L. infantum DNA. Out of the 24 dogs, 12.5% (3/24) were classified as asymptomatic and 87.5% (21/24) as symptomatic. Real-time PCR detected L. infantum DNA in all the animals, in at least one biological sample. In particular, 100% of bone marrow and lymph node scored positive, whereas in spleen, the presence of DNA was detected in 95.9% (23/24). In addition, out of 24 animals, 15 were microscopically positive to amastigote forms of L. infantum in bone marrow. No statistical significant difference was found in the overall mean quantity of DNA among the different biological samples (P = 0.518). Considering each organ separately, there was 100% positivity in bone marrow and lymph nodes, while among the spleen samples, 95.9% (23/24) were positive. Regarding the different clinical groups, the overall mean parasite load varied significantly (P = 0.022). According to the results obtained, it was not possible determine which biological sample was most suitable tissue for the diagnosis, based only on the parasite load. Therefore, other characteristics such as convenience and easily of obtaining samples should be taken into consideration.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24142164/