title: Heterogenic colonization patterns by Leptospira interrogans in Rattus norvegicus from urban slums.
abstract: We evaluated the renal colonization by Leptospira interrogans in Rattus norvegicus (rats), as it is the major natural reservoir of urban leptospirosis. We caught 72 R. norvegicus, out of which 32 were found to be positive for L. interrogans by immunofluorescence assay. From these rats, we selected 17 and divided them into six groups based on the mass-age/sex. We performed the immunohistochemistry test against L. interrogans in the kidney sections of the rats and systematically counted the colonized tubules (CTs) in 20 fields. The proportion of positive fields varied from 5% to 95%. The number of CTs in 20 fields varied from 0.5 to 85.5. These differences were not related to age or sex of the animals. The characterization of leptospiral colonization patterns in the natural reservoirs is important to better understand the host-pathogen interactions in leptospirosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Amélia Nunes
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Plataforma de Microscopia Eletrônica, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudio Pereira
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Figueira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mitermayer Galvão
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: dos Reis
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Patologia e Biologia Molecular, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ristow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002947:Cities; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011204:Poverty Areas; D051381:Rats; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*