Experimental infection of canine peritoneal macrophages with visceral and dermotropic Leishmania strains

A study was carried out using macrophages cultured from the peritoneal exudate of dogs infected in vitro with three species of Leishmania: L. (L.) chagasi, L. (Viannia) braziliensis and L. (L.) amazonensis with the aim of investigating the growth kinetics and infectivity of these species in the host cell. Results were expressed as the percentage of macrophages infected measured at 24 hr intervals over six days in RPMI - 1640 culture medium at a temperature of 34-35oC. The findings open the possibility of using canine peritoneal cells as a model for the screenning of leishmanicide drugs and to study the pathogenesis of these species.

Leishmaniasis dissemineted by Leishmania braziliensis in a mare (Equus cabalus) immunotherapy and chemotherapy assays

Cutaneous disseminated lesions caused by Leishmania sp. were found in a pregnant mare (Equus cabalus) from a rural city in the State of rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before delivering, treatment was undertaken by immunotherapy followed by chemotherapy. Histopatology and serology were performed during treatment, as well as the biochemical characterization of the parasite (L. braziliensis) that was isolated from one of the lesions

Epidemiological aspects of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in a periurban area of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

In order to characterize the epidemiology of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in a periurban area of the municipality of Sabará in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), an area until then considered free of the disease, a cross sectional survey was undertaken in 1990. The survey of the population consisted of 1119 interviews and 881 clinical examinations using Montenegro's skin test (MST). A low prevalence (3.7%) of positive MST was encountered. The disease had been occuring in the area for about 20 years in the form of sporadic cases. The predominant species of sandfly both in domestic areas and nearby areas of secondary vegetation was Lutzomyia whitmani. A canine survey of delayed hypersensitivity to the antigen P10,000 identified only one dog with a positive reaction out of 113 examined. The transmission of ACL in MRBH was confirmed. The occurrence of the disease in women, children and individuals with no contact with forest areas as well as the presence of potential vector species in the domiciliar environment, suggests the transmission of the disease in this environmewnt

Avaliacao do prognostico pos-operatorio atraves dos testes cutaneos para hipersensibilidade retardada, efeitos da nutricao parenteral. / Evaluation of the postoperative diagnosis using skin tests for delayed hypersensitivity effects of parenteral nutrition

Os autores estudaram em vinte e oito pacientes portadores de patologias cirurgicas do aparelho digestivo, nos quais se utilizou a nutricao parenteral no pre-operatorio, o valor dos testes cutaneos para hipersensibilidade retardada na avaliacao do prognostico pos-operatorio, assim como o papel da nutricao parenteral sobre esse prognostico. Os testes cutaneos realizados antes da nutricao parenteral demonstraram 12 pacientes reatores (duas ou mais respostas positivas), 5 pacientes moderadamente reatores (somente uma resposta positiva) e 11 pacientes anergicos (todas as respostas negativas).Apos o periodo de nutricao parenteral, a repeticao dos testes cutaneos demonstrou 20 pacientes reatores e 8 pacientes anergicos, que foram entao operados. As incidencias de complicacoes e mortalidade pos-operatoria nos pacientes foram de 30% e 15%, respectivamente, enquanto que nos pacientes anergicos foram de 87,5% e 75%, respectivamente. As diferencas entre essas incidencias foram estatisticamente significativas (alfa < 0,01).Concluimos que a utilizacao dos testes cutaneos para hipersensibilidade retardada no pre-operatorio e capaz de prognosticar a evolucao pos-operatoria e que os pacientes nos quais a nutricao parenteral restaura a normalidade das respostas aos referidos testes apresentam menores incidencias de complicacoes e mortalidade no pos-operatorio