Avaliação histopatológica e imunohistoquímica das lesões cutâneas de cães com infecção natural por Leishmania (leishmania) infantum (Nicolle, 1908)

Abstract

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CANL) is a disease of zoonotic evaluation and vector-borne transmission with a huge importance and impact on public health worldwide. The present study aimed at the histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation of the cutaneous lesions of dogs with natural infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. For that study were used 30 dogs treated at the outpatient parasitic disease service at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco and in the county of Petrolina, with a positive parasitological diagnosis for L. infantum. The skin fragment collections were performed with the aid of a surgical punch. All animals had some dermatopathy as a clinical cutaneous sign. The histopathological analysis of ulcerated lesions revealed that 63.3% (19/30) of the analyzed samples had a granulomatous inflammatory pattern composed of macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells in 68.43% (13/19), while 31.57% of the animals showed pyogranulomatous infiltrate composed of macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils. Amastigote forms of L. infantum were found on immunohistochemistry in 43.3% (13/30) of the samples analyzed. Given the above, it can be concluded that histopathology can help as a diagnostic method, reinforcing the importance of the skin in canine leishmaniasis and immunohistochemistry as a complementary diagnostic method in positive dogs for L. infantum that have ulcerative or desquamative dermatitis.