title: Dirofilaria immitis and Trypanosoma cruzi natural co-infection in dogs.
abstract: Dirofilariasis (Dirofilaria immitis) and American trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma cruzi) are zoonotic parasitic diseases affecting the hearts of a variety of mammalian host species, including dogs. In this study, some of the immunopathological characteristics of natural co-infection by these two parasites were compared with T. cruzi infection in dogs from Mexico. Antibody analysis in serum indicated significantly lower anti-T. cruzi IgG levels in co-infected dogs (n = 4) compared to those with T. cruzi infection alone (n = 9), together with a somewhat lower IgG2/IgG1 ratio. Cardiac tissue inflammation was limited and focal in co-infected animals whereas T. cruzi infected dogs had extensive and diffuse tissue inflammation. Three out of nine T. cruzi infected dogs and 1/4 of T. cruzi and D. immitis co-infected dogs showed cardiac alterations. The results showed that co-infections may interfere with host responses, and their significant prevalence (4/13 T. cruzi infected dogs) suggests that they should be taken into account by researchers and clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Hideyo Noguchi , Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico.
authors.forename: Julio Vladimir
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Cruz-Chan
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quijano-Hernandez
authors.forename: Maria Jesus
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Sierra
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dumonteil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000276:immunology; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan