Papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infantum infection in seventeen dogs: diagnostic features, extent of the infection and treatment outcome

BACKGROUND: This study describes immunological responses, diagnostic features, follow up and treatment outcomes from seventeen dogs with papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infection diagnosed by cytology or real time-PCR. METHODS: Specific Leishmania humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated by means of an immunofluorescence antibody test in all cases and a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to leishmanin in eight cases. The extent of infection was studied in several tissues including blood, lymph node, conjunctival and oral swabs, by means of PCR, at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up. Culture was performed on nine dogs from cutaneous lesions and lymph node aspirates and molecular typing was carried out on isolates based on ITS-1, ITS-2 and Haspb gene sequencing analysis. RESULTS: Cytological and molecular results from fine needle aspirates of papules were diagnostic in 8 out of 13 (61.5%) cases and in 14 out of 15 dogs (93.3%), respectively. In all dogs, specific anti-Leishmania antibody levels were low or absent. Blood and lymph node PCRs and lymph node culture were negative in all dogs. Three out of the nine dogs (33%) were positive by culture from cutaneous lesions. The three isolates were identified as ITS type A, however, polymorphism was observed in the Haspb gene (PCR products of 626 bp, 962 bp and 371 bp). DTH response was positive in all tested dogs at the time of diagnosis. The majority of dogs were successfully treated with only N-methylglucamine antimoniate, after which cutaneous lesions disappeared or were reduced to depigmented, flattened scars. All dogs remained seronegative and the majority of dogs were negative by PCR in several tissues during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study points out that papular dermatitis due to L. infantum is probably an underestimated benign cutaneous problem, associated with a parasite specific cell mediated immunity and a poor humoral immune response. Papular dermatitis is seen in young dogs, and appears to be a mild disease with restricted parasite dissemination and a good prognosis. PCR can be used as a non-invasive method to routinely evaluate papules if Leishmania infection is suspected in cases in which parasites are not visualized by cytology.The authors thank Dr. Carmen Cañavate (Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain) for kindly providing L. infantum promastigotes for leishmanin skin test; Laura Perillo for her collaboration in cytopathology; Antonino Lombardo (Studio Veterinario Lombardo, Mascalucia, CT, Italy) for his collaboration in collecting the clinical cases. The authors are grateful to Francesca Soutter (Royal Veterinary College) for the English revision of the manuscript. The authors are also grateful to technicians of the CreNaL laboratory, IZS, Sicily for their technical help. The authors also thank the reviewers for the constructive critical revision of the manuscript. Laia Solano-Gallego holds a Ramón y Cajal senior researcher contract awarded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the European Social Fund. Publication of the CVBD9 thematic series has been sponsored by Bayer HealthCare - Animal Health division.S

Microsatellite panel definition to characterize Leishmania strains isolated from human samples in an italian endemic region

The Leishmaniasis affects people, domestic and wild animals in temperature, subtropical and tropical regions. The natural cycle involves phlebotominae sandfly vectors transmitting the parasite to the vertebrate host. The insects influence the epidemiology of the disease by their geographical distribution in the seasons and the specific vectorial capacity. Human Leishmania infections are increasing every year in Sicily, which represent the region with the highest endemic level of the disease in Italy. Among different approaches employed for the diagnostic the parasites isolation remains the gold standard

Molecular barcoding applied to the Mediterranean turtles biological matrices

Barcoding allows the characterisation of tiny samples from living species and the differentiation of morphologically similar specimens. It is a practical tool that can be used in cases of damaged samples and it is also useful for taxonomical characterisation of specimens at immature developmental stages.peer-reviewe

Genetic database development for the characterization of Sicilian sheep population

There are various studies on European sheep, but few datasets have been developed based on the population of Sicilian sheep. The reference database will include allele frequencies at each locus and will determine genetic parameters for Sicilian ovine species selection.peer-reviewe

Aspetti epidemiologici della calcolosi di calcio in Italia: distribuzione dei fenotipi intermedi nella popolazione italiana

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Oltre il Segno/OltreMare

La realizzazione di un volume contenente le incisioni scelte all’interno della Scuola di Grafica d’Arte dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo, coordinata dai Proff. Giovanni D’Alessandro e Riccardo Mazzarino rappresenta motivo di orgoglio e di soddisfazione per la nostra Istituzione che costruisce i percorsi didattici dei propri corsi a partire dall’esperienza laboratoriale. L’incisione grafica è tra le tecniche artistiche più antiche ma nel contempo più contemporanee. La gestualità intrinseca al segno, che si manifesta nella carta, svela universi della visione inaspettati.(Mario Zito - Direttore dell’Accademia di Belle Arti di Palermo) Il segno è il risultato di un gesto a volte deciso, a volte contorto, a volte leggero, i cui risultati spesso sono inattesi e sorprendenti. Il volume contiene esemplari di incisioni fortemente caratterizzanti della scuola di Grafica d’Arte che vanta all’interno del proprio corso di studi docenti-artisti che consapevoli della ricchezza del loro bagaglio esperienziale offrono agli studenti gli strumenti necessari per far sì che l’arte del saper fare artigianale, si trasformi in mera poetica artistica

Neutralizing antibodies to Omicron after the fourth SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose in immunocompromised patients highlight the need of additional boosters

IntroductionImmunocompromised patients have been shown to have an impaired immune response to COVID-19 vaccines.MethodsHere we compared the B-cell, T-cell and neutralizing antibody response to WT and Omicron BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 virus after the fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in patients with hematological malignancies (HM, n=71), solid tumors (ST, n=39) and immune-rheumatological (IR, n=25) diseases. The humoral and T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were analyzed by quantifying the anti-RBD antibodies, their neutralization activity and the IFN-γ released after spike specific stimulation.ResultsWe show that the T-cell response is similarly boosted by the fourth dose across the different subgroups, while the antibody response is improved only in patients not receiving B-cell targeted therapies, independent on the pathology. However, 9% of patients with anti-RBD antibodies did not have neutralizing antibodies to either virus variants, while an additional 5.7% did not have neutralizing antibodies to Omicron BA.2, making these patients particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The increment of neutralizing antibodies was very similar towards Omicron BA.2 and WT virus after the third or fourth dose of vaccine, suggesting that there is no preferential skewing towards either virus variant with the booster dose. The only limited step is the amount of antibodies that are elicited after vaccination, thus increasing the probability of developing neutralizing antibodies to both variants of virus.DiscussionThese data support the recommendation of additional booster doses in frail patients to enhance the development of a B-cell response directed against Omicron and/or to enhance the T-cell response in patients treated with anti-CD20

Identification of subspecies and parentage relationship by means of DNA fingerprinting in two exemplary of Pan troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1775) (Mammalia Hominidae)

Four chimpanzee subspecies (Mammalia Hominidae) are commonly recognised: the Western Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes verus (Schwarz, 1934), the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes ellioti, the Central Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes troglodytes (Blumenbach, 1799), and the Eastern Chimpanzee, P. troglodytes schweinfurthii (Giglioli, 1872). Recent studies on mitochondrial DNA show the incorporation of P. troglodytes schweinfurthii in P. troglodytes troglodytes, suggesting the existence of only two subspecies: P. troglodytes troglodytes in Central and Eastern Africa and P. troglodytes verus-P. troglodytes ellioti in West Africa. The aim of the present study is twofold: first, to identify the correct subspecies of two chimpanzee samples collected in a Biopark structure in Carini (Sicily, Italy), and second, to verify whether there was a kinship relationship between the two samples through techniques such as DNA barcoding and microsatellite analysis. DNA was extracted from apes’ buccal swabs, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using universal primers, then purified and injected into capillary electrophoresis Genetic Analyzer ABI 3130 for sequencing. The sequence was searched on the NCBI Blast database. In addiction, the microsatellite analysis was performed on the same machine for parentage detection among samples, and data were analyzed with GenMapper software. Our results show that both samples were P. troglodytes troglodytes, while the analysis of the microsatellite results in an unclear relationship between two chimpanzee samples

Genetic database development for the characterisation of Sicilian sheep population

The most representative sheep in Sicily are Belicina, Comisana, Pinzirita, Barbarescaand the crossbred derived sheep from all this species. In this study, the allelic frequencies of the Sicilian sheep population were investigated. It currently represents the best way to determine the genetic identity and/or family even with limited amounts of sample or when the DNA is degraded. The aim of the study was to provide a reference data bank and to evaluate a microsatellite panel for pedigree analysis as suggested by the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). There are various studies on European sheep, but few datasets were developed on the population of Sicilian sheep. The reference database will include allele frequencies at each locus and will determine genetic parameters for Sicilian ovine species selection. Our results indicated that Hardy Weinberg equilibrium was not always maintained. These results could be explained by a non-random mating. The database is useful to investigate the relationship, the parentage the meat traceability and in disease control programs. The standardized panels of allele frequencies represent a molecular fingerprinting characterizing the subjects with very high definition level and can be useful to control all the livestock. The parentage identification could be important for the veterinary police to investigate the theft or the animal substitutions in the Sicilian farms