Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations
<i>Leishmania infantum</i> is a protozoan causing human zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) and visceral–cutaneous canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in the Mediterranean Basin. <i>L. infantum</i> is able to infect a large number of wild and domestic species, including cats, dogs,...
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/6/634 |
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| author | Alessia Libera Gazzonis Giulia Morganti Ilaria Porcellato Paola Roccabianca Giancarlo Avallone Stefano Gavaudan Cristina Canonico Giulia Rigamonti Chiara Brachelente Fabrizia Veronesi |
| author_facet | Alessia Libera Gazzonis Giulia Morganti Ilaria Porcellato Paola Roccabianca Giancarlo Avallone Stefano Gavaudan Cristina Canonico Giulia Rigamonti Chiara Brachelente Fabrizia Veronesi |
| author_sort | Alessia Libera Gazzonis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Leishmania infantum</i> is a protozoan causing human zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) and visceral–cutaneous canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in the Mediterranean Basin. <i>L. infantum</i> is able to infect a large number of wild and domestic species, including cats, dogs, and horses. Since the 1990s, clinical cases of equine leishmaniasis (EL), typically characterized by cutaneous forms, have been increasingly diagnosed worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of clinical forms of EL in CanL-endemic areas in Italy, where exposure of equine populations was ascertained from recent serological surveys. For this purpose, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin biopsies of 47 horses presenting chronic dermatitis compatible with EL were retrospectively selected for the study and subjected to conventional and q-PCR. A singular positivity for <i>L. infantum</i> was found; BLAST analysis of sequence amplicons revealed a 99–100% homology with <i>L. infantum</i> sequences. The histological examination revealed a nodular lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic infiltrate; immunohistochemistry showed rare macrophages containing numerous positive amastigotes. The present retrospective study reports, for the first time, a case of a cutaneous lesion by <i>L. infantum</i> occurring in an Italian horse. Pathological and healthy skin samples should be investigated on a larger scale to provide information on the potential clinical impact of EL in the practice, and to define the role of horses in epidemiological ZVL and CanL scenarios. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:48:34Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:48:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-8efc6097f32248bfbc99b5b0d0a46f902023-11-23T18:24:25ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172022-05-0111663410.3390/pathogens11060634Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse PopulationsAlessia Libera Gazzonis0Giulia Morganti1Ilaria Porcellato2Paola Roccabianca3Giancarlo Avallone4Stefano Gavaudan5Cristina Canonico6Giulia Rigamonti7Chiara Brachelente8Fabrizia Veronesi9Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Bologna, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche, Via Varano 286, 60100 Ancona, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche, Via Varano 286, 60100 Ancona, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy<i>Leishmania infantum</i> is a protozoan causing human zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) and visceral–cutaneous canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in the Mediterranean Basin. <i>L. infantum</i> is able to infect a large number of wild and domestic species, including cats, dogs, and horses. Since the 1990s, clinical cases of equine leishmaniasis (EL), typically characterized by cutaneous forms, have been increasingly diagnosed worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of clinical forms of EL in CanL-endemic areas in Italy, where exposure of equine populations was ascertained from recent serological surveys. For this purpose, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin biopsies of 47 horses presenting chronic dermatitis compatible with EL were retrospectively selected for the study and subjected to conventional and q-PCR. A singular positivity for <i>L. infantum</i> was found; BLAST analysis of sequence amplicons revealed a 99–100% homology with <i>L. infantum</i> sequences. The histological examination revealed a nodular lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic infiltrate; immunohistochemistry showed rare macrophages containing numerous positive amastigotes. The present retrospective study reports, for the first time, a case of a cutaneous lesion by <i>L. infantum</i> occurring in an Italian horse. Pathological and healthy skin samples should be investigated on a larger scale to provide information on the potential clinical impact of EL in the practice, and to define the role of horses in epidemiological ZVL and CanL scenarios.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/6/634<i>Leishmania</i>horsechronic dermatitisskin biopsies |
| spellingShingle | Alessia Libera Gazzonis Giulia Morganti Ilaria Porcellato Paola Roccabianca Giancarlo Avallone Stefano Gavaudan Cristina Canonico Giulia Rigamonti Chiara Brachelente Fabrizia Veronesi Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations Pathogens <i>Leishmania</i> horse chronic dermatitis skin biopsies |
| title | Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations |
| title_full | Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations |
| title_fullStr | Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations |
| title_short | Detection of <i>Leishmania</i> spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations |
| title_sort | detection of i leishmania i spp in chronic dermatitis retrospective study in exposed horse populations |
| topic | <i>Leishmania</i> horse chronic dermatitis skin biopsies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/6/634 |
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