title: Copromicroscopic and molecular assays for the detection of cancer-causing parasitic nematode Spirocerca lupi.
abstract: Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda, Spirurida) is a life-threatening parasitic nematode of dogs that is presently emerging in several countries. Nonetheless, canine spirocercosis is neglected and underestimated, mainly due to diagnostic limitations inherent to clinico-pathologic, diagnostic imaging and laboratory methodologies. Given the significant benefit of improved diagnosis, the present work evaluated the reliability of a recently described copromicroscopic approach, the FLOTAC technique, as well as a PCR-based assay with that of traditional coproscopic techniques to diagnose S. lupi infection. Ninety-four faecal field samples were collected from two endemic areas (i.e. 29 and 65 from Kenya and Israel, respectively) and processed using different coproscopic examination techniques. In particular, set I (Kenyan samples) comprised the modified flotation with Sheather's sugar solution and merthiolate-iodine-formalin technique, while set II (Israeli samples) comprised a flotation technique with zinc sulphate solution, a modified sugar flotation procedure and the FLOTAC method. All samples were also subjected to a semi-nested PCR protocol specific for a region internal to the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene of S. lupi. The coproscopic examinations showed low sensitivity and high variability, demonstrating the unreliability of the conventional methods for detecting S. lupi eggs. Nonetheless, the FLOTAC technique scored the highest number of positives and significantly higher number of S. lupi eggs per microscopic field compared to the other coproscopic methods. Additionally, of the coproscopically negative samples, 9 (45%) Kenyan and 21 (38.2%) Israeli samples scored molecularly positive using the PCR-based approach. The potential implications and perspectives for canine spirocercosis of these coproscopic and molecular diagnostic methodologies evaluated herein are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, TE, Italy. dtraversa@unite.it
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avolio
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modrý
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aroch
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
authors.forename: Piermarino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milillo
authors.forename: Katka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albrechtová
authors.forename: Andrei D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mihalca
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017205:Spirurida Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D013802:Thelazioidea / Q000302:isolation & purification*