Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluation of kidneys from dogs with visceral leishmaniasis

• Grant number: 10/08124-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: July 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Mary Marcondes
• Grantee: Patrícia Tivelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is a multisystem chronic and progressive disease. The kidneys are often affected and approximately 50% of affected animals have laboratory evidence of chronic kidney disease, being glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis and tubular lesions common in histopathological evaluation. There are many questions regarding the pathogenesis of renal injury in canine and human visceral leishmaniasis. Although many studies indicate the deposition of immune complexes as the responsible for the pathological changes, there are evidences that the pathogenesis of renal damage is more complex, with possible activation of immune mechanisms in the parenchyma and the direct participation of the parasite in glomerular injury. This way, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the physiopathological mechanisms involved in renal injury of 40 dogs naturally affected by visceral leishmaniasis with clinical and laboratory evidence of renal involvement by histopathologic and immunohistochemistry evaluation of the kidneys, characterizing the changes and identifying the participation of Leishmania sp., CD3 + , CD4 +, CD8 +, CD21 + and CD79 + T lymphocites, CD68 + macrophages and IgG, as well as for the presence of anti-histone antibodies in serum samples of these animals.