title: Lacaziosis-like disease in Tursiops truncatus from Brazil: a histopathological and immunohistochemical approach.
abstract: Cetacean lacaziosis-like disease or lobomycosis-like disease (LLD) is a chronic skin condition caused by a non-cultivable yeast of the order Onygenales, which also includes Lacazia loboi, as well as Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii, respectively responsible for lacaziosis and paracoccidioidomycosis in humans. Complete identification and phylogenetic classification of the LLD etiological agent still needs to be elucidated, but preliminary phylogenetic analyses have shown a closer relationship of the LLD agent to Paracoccidioides spp. than to L. loboi. Cases of LLD in South American cetaceans based on photographic identification have been reported; however, to date, only 3 histologically confirmed cases of LLD have been described. We evaluated multiple tissue samples from 4 Tursiops truncatus stranded in the states of Santa Catarina (n = 3) and Rio Grande do Sul (n = 1), southern Brazil. Macroscopically, all animals presented lesions consistent with LLD. Hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, Grocott's methenamine silver, and Mayer's mucicarmin stains were used for histological evaluation. Microscopically, numerous refractile yeasts (4-9 µm in diameter) were observed in skin samples (4/4), and for the first time in dolphins, also in a skeletal muscle abscess (1/4). Immunohistochemistry using anti-P. brasiliensis glycoprotein gp43 as a primary antibody, which is known to cross-react with L. loboi and the LLD agent, was performed and results were positive in all 4 cases. We describe 3 new cases of LLD in cetaceans based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. This is the first report of LLD in the muscle of cetaceans.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo (LAPCOM-VPT-FMVZ-USP), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sacristán
authors.forename: Rodrigo Albergaria
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Réssio
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castilho
authors.forename: Natália
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa-Silva
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esperón
authors.forename: Fábio Gonçalves
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Daura-Jorge
authors.forename: Kátia R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Groch
authors.forename: Cristiane K M
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kolesnikovas
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marigo
authors.forename: Paulo Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Larissa Rosa
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Angélica María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Sarmiento
authors.forename: Paulo C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Simões-Lopes
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catão-Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary*; D060368:Lobomycosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male