Miocardiopathy in dogs naturally affected by visceral leishmaniasis: histopathological patterns e immune response evaluation

Author(s)

Acácio Duarte Pacheco

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Araçatuba. 2016-09-02.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária. Araçatuba
• Defense date: 2016-07-19
• Advisor: Mary Marcondes

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of myocarditis in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi, however the type of immune response in cardiac tissue of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has not been determined. For this purpose, fragments from right atrial free wall (AD), right ventricular free wall (RV), left ventricular free wall (LV) and interventricular septum (IVS) of 20 dogs naturally affected by VL were evaluated to determine the histopathological changes and the immune response in heart tissue. The presence of myocarditis has been reported in 75% of the evaluated animals, and an lymphoplasmocytic inflammatory infiltrate was the most common change in these fragments. The immunostaining of Leishmania sp. was observed in 60% of the evaluated animals. There was no correlation between the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate and the presence of Leishmania sp. (p = 0.0682). The immunostaining of the parasite correlated with the presence of CD4 + (p <0.0001) and CD8 + T lymphocytes (p = 0.0002), CD79 + B lymphocytes (p = 0.046) and IgG (p = 0.040). IL-4 (p = 0.030), IL-12 (p = 0.002) and IFN- levels (p <0.0001) were lower in the infected dogs when compared to control group, regardless of the presence or absence parasite in the myocardium (p> 0.05). The results obtained in this study suggest that the presence of myocardial changes is common in dogs with VL, associated with a mixed immune response in heart tissue. However, the local inflammatory process seems not enough to trigger the production of cytokines normally involved in VL, possibly due to a low parasite load in dogs myocardium, especially when compared to other organs such as spleen, liver and bone marrow. Further studies evaluating at the same time the presence of myocardial inflammation and the behavior of these circulating cytokines in target organs with immune activity are indicated to confirm the immune response present in the myocardium of dogs affected by VL. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/02801-0 - Study of the pathogenesis of cardiac lesions in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis
• Grantee: Acácio Duarte Pacheco
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate