title: Histopathological and immunohistochemical investigations of the hepatic compartment associated with parasitism and serum biochemical changes in canine visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The immunopathological evaluation of the hepatic compartment associated with parasitism and biochemical findings are essential for understanding the genesis of hepatomegaly in canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Three clinical groups of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania chagasi [i.e., asymptomatic (AD, n=12), oligosymptomatic (OD, n=12) and symptomatic (SD, n=17)] were assessed and compared with a group of non-infected dogs (NID, n=11). Intense reaction of the Kupffer cells, capsule and portal inflammation, and the presence of intralobular granulomas, were observed in the different clinical groups. Dogs in the SD group presented a higher frequency of parasitism compared with the AD group. Inflammatory alterations were more intense in the SD group and were associated with parasitism. Our results indicated an association between histological liver changes and the progression of biochemical alterations according to progression of clinical forms of CVL, and the direct relationship between clinical symptoms and frequency of hepatic parasitism.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil. giunchetti@nupeb.ufop.br
authors.forename: Rodolfo Cordeiro
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Giunchetti
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mayrink
authors.forename: Cláudia Martins
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corrêa-Oliveira
authors.forename: Olindo Assis
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Martins-Filho
authors.forename: Marcos José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Washington Luiz
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Alexandre Barbosa
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male