Sequencing and characterization of urinary microRNAs for early detection of kidney disease in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis

• Grant number: 24/03164-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Marçal Felix de Lima
• Grantee: Mayla Abbas Guimarães
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Domestic dogs are the main urban reservoirs of Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in the Americas. In endemic regions for VL, the number of cases in humans is associated with the canine infection rate. In Canine Leishmaniasis (LCan), sick dogs mount an inefficient cellular immune response (Th1) to combat the parasite concomitant with an increase in humoral immune response (Th2). In canine leishmaniasis, although dermatological manifestations and lymphadenopathy are the most common, renal disease is considered the leading cause of mortality. Most dogs with leishmaniasis have renal disease, but its detection in the terminal phase complicates treatment, so finding early markers in urine that evidence renal injury is essential to guide clinical management. MiRNAs have been characterized as early markers of renal injury in humans; however, the evaluation of these markers in the urine of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis has not been studied. Renal failure occurs in the progression of canine disease. Knowledge of the factors associated with the progression of renal disease can provide relevant information for the development of new treatment strategies in canine leishmaniasis.