Leishmania (infantum) chagasi in canine urinary sediment

Urine qPCR diagnoses over the entire clinical-immunological spectrum of human Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi-infections in the Brazilian Amazon

The clinical-immunological spectrum of human Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi-infections in the Brazilian Amazon has been defined using DTH/IFAT-IgG immune assays and the clinical statuses of infected individuals, revealing five profiles: three asymptomatic [Asymptomatic Infection (AI), Subclinical Resistant Infection (SRI), and Indeterminate Initial Infection (III)], and two symptomatic profiles [Subclinical Oligosymptomatic Infection (SOI) and Symptomatic Infection (SI = American visceral leishmaniasis/AVL)]. We evaluated the diagnostic potential of urine qPCR over the entire spectrum of infection. Resine Instagene Matrix® was used for DNA extraction from urinary sediment, with amplification carried out using SYBR® Green Taq with the RV1 and RV2 primers. We examined urine samples from 151 individuals from an endemic area of AVL in Pará State in the Brazilian Amazon, including: 91 (60.3%) with diagnoses of previous infections [13 (14.3%) sharing the AI profile, 13 (14.3%) with the SRI profile, 43 (47.2%) with III, 12 (13.2%) with SI (treated AVL), and 10 (11%) with SI (untreated AVL)]; sixty (39.7%) were DTH^(-)/IFAT-IgG^(-) (the uninfected group). The urine qPCR was positive in 61.5% of both the AI and SRI profiles, 65% of the III profile, 50% of treated AVL, 100% of untreated AVL, and 6.7% of the uninfected group. Those results confirmed the urine qPCR diagnosis in 100% of untreated AVL cases as well as in more than 60% of the cases with asymptomatic AI, SRI, and III profiles - indicating it as a promising tool for monitoring the evolution of human L. (L.) infantum chagasi-infections in endemic areas.

Noninvasive Biological Samples to Detect and Diagnose Infections due to Trypanosomatidae Parasites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Unicellular eukaryotes of the Trypanosomatidae family include human and animal pathogens that belong to the Trypanosoma and Leishmania genera. Diagnosis of the diseases they cause requires the sampling of body fluids (e.g., blood, lymph, peritoneal fluid, cerebrospinal fluid) or organ biopsies (e.g., bone marrow, spleen), which are mostly obtained through invasive methods. Body fluids or appendages can be alternatives to these invasive biopsies but appropriateness remains poorly studied. To further address this question, we perform a systematic review on clues evidencing the presence of parasites, genetic material, antibodies, and antigens in body secretions, appendages, or the organs or proximal tissues that produce these materials. Paper selection was based on searches in PubMed, Web of Science, WorldWideScience, SciELO, Embase, and Google. The information of each selected article (n = 333) was classified into different sections and data were extracted from 77 papers. The presence of Trypanosomatidae parasites has been tracked in most of organs or proximal tissues that produce body secretions or appendages, in naturally or experimentally infected hosts. The meta-analysis highlights the paucity of studies on human African trypanosomiasis and an absence on animal trypanosomiasis. Among the collected data high heterogeneity in terms of the I2 statistic (100%) is recorded. A high positivity is recorded for antibody and genetic material detection in urine of patients and dogs suffering leishmaniasis, and of antigens for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. Data on conjunctival swabs can be analyzed with molecular methods solely for dogs suffering canine visceral leishmaniasis. Saliva and hair/bristles showed a pretty good positivity that support their potential to be used for leishmaniasis diagnosis. In conclusion, our study pinpoints significant gaps that need to be filled in order to properly address the interest of body secretion and hair or bristles for the diagnosis of infections caused by Leishmania and by other Trypanosomatidae parasites.