title: Comparison of paraffin-embedded skin biopsies from different anatomical regions as sampling methods for detection of Leishmania infection in dogs using histological, immunohistochemical and PCR methods.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We compared skin biopsy samples from different anatomical regions for detecting Leishmania in dogs, using histological (HE), immunohistochemical (IHC) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity was 82.8 percent for PCR, 62.1 percent for IHC and 44.8 percent for HE. These methods do not appear to depend on the clinical status of the animal or the anatomical source of the skin sample; there is no "best region" for any method. However, PCR was more effective than IHC and HE for ear and nose skin samples whereas IHC was better than HE for nose samples. There was weak agreement between PCR and HE for all tissue samples; good agreement between PCR and IHC for ear and abdomen samples, and weak agreement for nose; and optimal agreement between IHC and HE for ear and abdomen and good agreement for nose samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PCR on ear skin could be the best procedure for diagnosing canine visceral leishmaniasis. The good agreement between PCR and IHC indicates that IHC can be used as an alternative method. Finally, tissue samples from ears, nose and abdomen, particularly ears and nose, are potentially useful for diagnosing canine visceral leishmaniasis independently of the animal's clinical status.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil. silvioxavier@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sílvio Coura
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Hélida Monteiro
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Semíramis Jamil Hadad
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.forename: Ingrid Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Chiarelli
authors.forename: Wanderson Geraldo
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Marilene Suzan Marques
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Michalick
authors.forename: Washington Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Wagner Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tafuri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan