Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Real-time PCR urine test detects leishmaniasis in dogs with kidney
By Manna, Laura et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2008·Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Veterinarie, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Urine sampling for real-time polymerase chain reaction based diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with leishmaniasis, a disease caused by a parasite, were tested using a special urine test to check for the parasite's DNA. Among the 41 infected dogs, some showed skin problems, while others had blood in their urine or serious kidney issues. The urine tests revealed higher levels of the parasite's DNA in dogs with blood in their urine and kidney problems compared to those with only skin signs. This suggests that testing urine could be a helpful and easy way for vets to monitor the severity of leishmaniasis in dogs.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · dog blood in urine treatment · urine test for dog kidney disease
Abstract
A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used for quantifying Leishmania infantum DNA in urine samples from naturally infected dogs. Forty-one infected dogs were divided into 3 groups: 22 dogs showing only cutaneous signs (group 1), 12 dogs showing hematuria (group 2), and 7 dogs affected by severe nephropathy (group 3). Groups 2 and 3 dogs showed altered laboratory parameters related to an impairment of renal function. The real-time PCR analysis showed higher levels of Leishmania DNA in the lymph node aspirates from all groups of infected dogs versus those measured in their blood or urine. Interestingly, urine samples from dogs belonging to groups 2 and 3 contained a higher Leishmania DNA load than that detected in their blood. This finding suggests that a real-time PCR analysis of urine from infected dogs could be a useful and noninvasive tool for monitoring the severity of leishmaniasis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18182511/