Application of qPCR method to hair and cerumen samples for the diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis in Araçatuba, Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) remains a serious public health problem in Brazil. Dogs are the main hosts of the parasite, developing canine leishmaniosis (CanL), hence the importance of an accurate diagnosis of the animals. Recently, the application of qPCR method to non-invasive samples obtained from dogs with CanL has shown high sensitivity.

A large-scale field randomized trial demonstrates safety and efficacy of the vaccine LetiFend® against canine leishmaniosis.

Canine leishmaniosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum. Extensive research is currently ongoing to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect from disease development. The European Commission has granted a marketing authorization for LetiFend®, a new vaccine containing recombinant Protein Q.

First detection of Leishmania kDNA in canine cerumen samples by qPCR.

Nowadays, searching for alternative non-invasive methods for molecular diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniosis is getting increasingly important. We previously described the presence of Leishmania kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in canine hair; in this case we hypothesized whether foreign DNA might be present in cerumen of dogs with leishmaniosis, and be detected by Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR). A population of 38 dogs that lived in Leishmania endemic areas was divided in two groups: A (33 dogs with confirmed leishmaniosis by serological techniques) and B (5 healthy dogs).

Coadministration of the Three Antigenic Leishmania infantum Poly (A) Binding Proteins as a DNA Vaccine Induces Protection against Leishmania major Infection in BALB/c Mice.

Background: Highly conserved intracellular proteins from Leishmania have been described as antigens in natural and experimental infected mammals. The present study aimed to evaluate the antigenicity and prophylactic properties of the Leishmania infantum Poly (A) binding proteins (LiPABPs).

Methodology/principal Findings: Three different members of the LiPABP family have been described.

First detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA in hair of wild mammals: application of qPCR method to determine potential parasite reservoirs.

The data presented in this paper describe the application of a method for a reliable and non-invasive diagnosis of leishmaniosis in wild reservoirs, based on the detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in hair samples by Real Time PCR (qPCR). The study has been performed on 68 ear/leg hair samples from 5 different wild species (Vulpes vulpes, Canis lupus, Martes foina, Rattus norvegicus and Erinaceus europaeus) from several geographic areas of West and North Spain. The presence of Leishmania kDNA was detected in 14 of the 68 analyzed samples, being the highest quantity of DNA observed in foxes.

Detection and chronology of parasitic kinetoplast DNA presence in hair of experimental Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice by Real Time PCR.

Hair can accumulate foreign chemical or biological substances. Recently, it has been reported that parasite DNA can also be detected in the hair of Leishmania infantum infected dogs. The aim of this work has been to find out whether parasite DNA incorporates in the hair of Leishmania major experimentally infected animals.

Detection of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast minicircle DNA by Real Time PCR in hair of dogs with leishmaniosis.

It is known that hair can accumulate environmental toxics and excrete foreign chemical or biological substances. In this context, we hypothesized that foreign DNA could be found in the hair of an infected organism, and thus, be detected by Real Time PCR in the hair of Leishmania infantum naturally infected dogs. A population of 28 dogs living in Leishmania endemic areas was divided into two groups: A (13 Leishmania infected dogs) and B (15 healthy dogs).

Leishmania major infection in susceptible and resistant mice elicit a differential humoral response against a total soluble fraction and defined recombinant antigens of the parasite.

In the present work, we analyzed the humoral response of Leishmania major experimentally infected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice against three Leishmania antigens: total soluble antigen (soluble leishmania antigen(SLA)), a chimerical recombinant protein formed by the genetic fusion of four cytoplasmic proteins (PQ), and a kinetoplastic membrane protein (Kmp-11). We determined the correlation between the immune response against these proteins and the histopathological changes induced in the susceptible and resistant mice after infection. The data showed the existence of wide differences in the recognition of SLA, PQ, and Kmp-11 by the sera from both strains.

Arginase I induction during Leishmania major infection mediates the development of disease.

In a previous work, we demonstrated that the induction of arginase I favored the replication of Leishmania inside macrophages. Now we have analyzed the differential expression of this enzyme in the mouse model of L. major infection.

Arginase I induction in macrophages, triggered by Th2-type cytokines, supports the growth of intracellular Leishmania parasites.

Leishmania spp. are intracellular protozoan parasites that invade and replicate within macrophages. In a previous report, we have demonstrated that the growth of intracellular amastigotes could be controlled by inhibition of arginase.