Giovana Wingeter Di Santis

Caracterização histomorfológica da atrofia inflamatória proliferativa na próstata canina

Proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA) is a premalignant prostatic change with high occurrence in human prostate and it has been recently observed in dogs. This research aimed to verify the morphologic aspects of the PIA in canine prostate. It was studied 43 glands of adult dogs of several breeds and sizes and with or without a history of prostatic disease. PIA focus was characterized by dysplastic epithelium, atrophic acini formed by several layers of cells with variable degrees of anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, reduced amount of cytoplasm and nuclei with prominent nucleoli. The epithelial changes were always accompanied by periacinar interstitial infiltrate composed of mononuclear cells, especially lymphocytes. The histomorphological evaluation showed occurrence of 65% of PIA. Out of these, 39% were PIA with discrete inflammatory infiltration, 42% PIA with moderate infiltrate and 19% PIA with marked infiltration. Thus, it was possible to characterize the PIA in the canine prostate which had high occurrence. The histomorphological characterization of canine PIA is considered of great importance because the premalignant characteristic of it have been studied in human prostate. The canine prostate can be used as an experimental model of human PIA, because the lesion is similar in both species.

Molecular characterization of encephalitic bovine listeriosis from southern Brazil.

Reports of bovine listeriosis in Brazil are uncommon, being restricted to citations within retrospective studies, resulting in scarce documented information of this important disease of cattle. This manuscript describes the molecular findings associated with spontaneous encephalitic listeriosis in two steers from distinct herds within the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. Both animals demonstrated altered consciousness suggestive of brain stem dysfunctions and died a few days after the initial onset of disease. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were designed to target specific genes of infectious neurological agents of cattle. These included bovine herpesvirus 1 and 5 (BoHV-1 and BoHV-5), ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), Listeria monocytogenes, and Histophilus somni. Rabies virus was discarded in evaluations done at the official state diagnostic laboratory. Gross alterations were insignificant; histopathology demonstrated rhombencephalitis associated with macrophage-predominant, multifocal to coalescing microabscesses and extensive perivascular cuffings in both steers. The L. monocytogenes PCR assay amplified the 172-bp amplicon of the listeriolysin gene from the brain stem of both animals and from the telencephalon, thalamus, and cerebellum of one of them. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the strains derived from this study clustered with known strains of L. monocytogenes lineage I. The BoHV-1 and BoHV-5, OvHV-2, and H. somni PCR assays were negative. These results confirm the participation of L. monocytogenes lineage I in the etiopathogenesis of the neurological disease herein described and represent the first complete description of encephalitic listeriosis in cattle from Brazil.

Cryptococcus gattii -Induced Infections in Dogs from Southern Brazil

Cryptococcus gattii-induced cryptococcosis is an emerging infectious disease of humans and animals worldwide, with rare descriptions of this infection in domestic animals from Brazil. This study presents the findings associated with C. gattii in dogs from Londrina, Paraná, Southern Brazil. Two dogs, a 3-year-old, female German shepherd and a 6-year-old, male Boxer, were evaluated by a combination of pathological, mycological, and molecular diagnostic techniques. Significant pathological alterations included cryptococcal lymphadenitis, meningoencephalitis, tonsillitis, and rhinitis with nasal cryptococcomas in the German shepherd dog, while cryptococcal lymphadenitis and pneumonia were observed in the Boxer; both dogs had pseudocystic cryptococcosis. The mucicarmine histochemical stain readily identified the intralesional cryptococcal budding organisms in all affected tissues. Mycological culture and isolation confirmed the yeasts as C. gattii due to positive reaction with the l-canavanine glycine bromothymol blue agar. A PCR assay using the internal transcribed spacers (ITS)1 and ITS2 primers, which target the ITS1 and 2 regions including the 5.8S rRNA gene, amplified the desired amplicons; direct sequencing confirmed the isolate as C. gattii. ITS nucleotide differentiation demonstrated that the isolate forms part of the ITS type 4 Cryptococcus organisms which corresponds to the C. gattii VGII molecular subtype or the RAPD type 2 Cryptococcus organisms. Collectively, these findings confirmed the participation of C. gattii in the etiopathogenesis of the lesions observed in these dogs and expanded the epidemiological niche of this important mycotic agent to include Southern Brazil. It is noteworthy to mention that previous epidemiological studies have suggested that C. gattii-induced cryptococcosis is more frequently diagnosed in Northern relative to Southern Brazil, so these findings might suggest an expansion of the distribution of this agent within continental Brazil.

Teat papillomatosis associated with bovine papillomavirus types 6, 7, 9, and 10 in dairy cattle from Brazil

This study describes the clinical, histopathological, and virological characterization of teat papillomatosis from Brazilian dairy cattle herds. Four types of bovine papillomavirus were identified (BPV6, 7, 9, and 10); one of these (BPV7) is being detected for the first time in Brazilian cattle.

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-associated dermatitis and lymphadenitis in a dog

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic disease of humans from Latin America that is caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii, with most cases of PCM in domestic animals being associated with P. brasiliensis. This study presents the clinical, cytological, mycological, serological, and molecular findings associated with P. brasiliensis in a dog from Southern Brazil. Fine needle biopsies were collected from the skin and several lymph nodes of a 5-year-old female Labrador dog that had enlargement of most superficial lymph nodes. Cytology of the skin and lymph nodes revealed pyogranulomatous dermatitis and lymphadenitis associated with fine-necked, budding fungal structures consistent with the Paracoccidioides genus of organisms; mycological culture derived from the lymph node aspirate demonstrated similar budding structures. Serological assays using exoantigens obtained from the fungal culture demonstrated that the fungal organisms derived from the lymph node were antigenically similar to P. brasiliensis by immunodiffusion and Western blot. A PCR assay, using the fungal culture as input, amplified a partial segment of the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 regions of P. brasiliensis; direct sequencing and phylogenetic analyses confirmed the PCR product as P. brasiliensis. The combined cytological, mycological, serological, and molecular findings confirmed a diagnosis of fungal dermatitis and lymphadenitis due to P. brasiliensis in this dog. This case represents the third description of clinical PCM in dogs and the first confirmation of mycotic dermatitis associated with P. brasiliensis in this species. The participation of dogs in the possible dissemination of PCM is reviewed, and it is proposed that dogs are probable accidental hosts in the epidemiological cycle associated with P. brasiliensis.

Canine morbillivirus (canine distemper virus) with concomitant canine adenovirus, canine parvovirus-2, and Neospora caninum in puppies: a retrospective immunohistochemical study

A retrospective immunohistochemical study was designed to investigate the frequency of concomitant traditional infectious disease pathogens in puppies that died suddenly and review the aspects of associated pathogenesis. Fifteen puppies were evaluated; the pathology reports and histopathologic slides of these animals were reviewed to determine the pattern of histopathologic lesions. The intralesional identification of antigens of canine (distemper) morbillivirus (CDV), canine adenovirus-1 and -2 (CAdV-1 and -2), canine parvovirus-2 (CPV-2), Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum was evaluated by IHC within the histopathologic patterns observed. All puppies contained CDV nucleic acid by molecular testing. The most frequent histopathologic patterns were intestinal crypt necrosis (n = 8), white matter cerebellar demyelination (n = 7), necrohaemorrhagic hepatitis (n = 7), interstitial pneumonia (n = 7), and gallbladder oedema (n = 5). All puppies contained intralesional antigens of CDV in multiple tissues resulting in singular (n = 3), and concomitant dual (n = 3), triple (n = 5) and quadruple (n = 4) infections by CAdV-1, and -2, CPV-2, and N. caninum; T. gondii was not identified. Concomitant infections by CDV was observed with N. caninum (100%; 1/1), CPV-2 (100%; 8/8), CAdV-1 (100%; 8/8), and CAdV-2 (100%; 8/8). Intralesional antigens of CDV and not CAdV-1 were identified in cases of gallbladder oedema. The “blue eye” phenomenon was histologically characterized by corneal oedema and degenerative lesions to the corneal epithelium, without inflammatory reactions.

Cerebrospinal fluid changes in cattle with rabies or with BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis and its correlation with the severity of CNS inflammatory process

Abstract The objective of this study was to describe and compare the changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of cattle affected by rabies or BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis and correlating them with the severity of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation. Samples of CSF and CNS tissues from cattle naturally infected with rabies virus (n = 17) and BoHV-5 (n = 17) were examined. Histologically, meningitis was classified according to the type and quantity of inflammatory cells. The lesions observed in the brain parenchyma and in the spinal cord that defined the presence of inflammatory process were perivascular cuffs, gliosis and glial nodules. CSF mononuclear pleocytosis and high protein concentration were present in both diseases, but 47% of rabies cattle had no changes, and the median number of leukocytes was 5.4 fold higher (p

Congenital Mature Intracranial Teratoma in a Pampas Deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus ) in Brazil.

Abstract We describe a congenital mature intracranial teratoma in a Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) in southern Brazil. We found an irregular, spongy, space-occupying mass in the brain. The tumor consisted of well-differentiated tissues that derived from all three germ layers.

Caracterização imunofenotípica e avaliação quantitativa do infiltrado linfocítário junto às áreas de displasia epitelial da próstata de cães adultos sexualmente intactos

Canine prostatic studies have been common due to high incidence of prostatic diseases in these animals and similarities with alterations in human prostatic gland. Due the high frequency of dysplasia associated with interstitial lymphocitary infiltrate and acinar atrophy in canine prostate, the aims in this study were the immunophenotypic characterization and the quantitative evaluation of the same infiltrated using anti-CD3 and anti-CD79a to T and B lymphocytes, respectively. Forty two epithelial dysplasic lesions were graduated in discrete (48%), moderate (38%) and accentuated (14%). Lymphocitary periacinar infiltrate in dysplasic areas was T type and interaction between dysplasia grade and marker was observed, with oscillation of T and B cells in according with epithelial dysplasia grade.