Journal Article

Semi-quantitative measurement of asymptomatic L. infantum infection and symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis in dogs using Dual-Path Platform® CVL

Fowler, Hailie, Esfandiari, Javan, Vallur, Aarthy C., Petersen, Christine, Scott, Benjamin, Larson, Mandy, Kurtz, Melissa, Duthie, Malcolm S., Toepp, Angela, Howard, Randall F.

2017

Overview

Infection with Leishmania causes diseases with variable presentation. The most severe form is visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by either L. donovani or L. infantum . Despite efforts to eliminate VL, to date, molecular detection in resource-poor settings have lacked the accuracy and rapidity that would enable widespread field use and the need for accurate, sensitive assays to detect asymptomatic Leishmania infection has become apparent. The domestic dog serves as the primary reservoir host of L. infantum . Study of this reservoir population provides an opportunity to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostics for well-defined, symptomatic, canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) and asymptomatic L. infantum infection. Blood samples from an L. infantum -endemic population of US hunting dogs were evaluated with Dual-Path Platform (DPP®) CVL compared to those obtained via direct detection methods (culture- and Leishmania -specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR) and immunofluorescence anti- Leishmania antibody test (IFAT). Statistically significant correlations were found between DPP® CVL development time and clinical status, culture status, circulating DNA levels, and IFAT titer. DPP® CVL results correlated with both clinical severity of disease and serological evidence of asymptomatic L. infantum infection. By precisely documenting the minimum time required for the development of a clear positive result in DPP® CVL, this test could be used in a rapid, semi-quantitative manner for the evaluation of asymptomatic and symptomatic CVL. Our results also indicate that a similar test could be used to improve our understanding of human VL.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Analysis / Animals / Antibodies, Protozoan - blood / Asymptomatic / Asymptomatic Diseases / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biotechnology / Blood - parasitology / blood sampling / Chromatography, Affinity - methods / Detectors / diagnostic techniques / Diagnostic tests / Diagnostic Tests, Routine - methods / Disease transmission / Diseases / Distribution / DNA / DNA, Protozoan - blood / Dog Diseases - diagnosis / Dog Diseases - parasitology / Dog Diseases - pathology / Dogs / Domestic animals / Epidemiology / fluorescent antibody technique / Fluorescent Antibody Technique - methods / Health aspects / humans / Infection / Infections / Kala-azar / Laboratories / Leishmania / Leishmania infantum - isolation & purification / Leishmaniasis, Visceral - diagnosis / Leishmaniasis, Visceral - parasitology / Leishmaniasis, Visceral - pathology / Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary / Life Sciences / Measurement / Medical research / Methods / Methods and Protocols / Microbial Genetics and Genomics / Microbiology / Parasites / Parasitic diseases / Polymerase chain reaction / Population / Protozoa / Public health / quantitative polymerase chain reaction / Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods / Studies / Time Factors / United States / Vector-borne diseases / visceral leishmaniasis