With the purpose to determine the frequency and type of cardiac lesions in naturally exposed dogs to Trypanosoma cruzi, ninety one stray dogs, capture by the Canine and Feline Control Center （dog pound） from the mun...With the purpose to determine the frequency and type of cardiac lesions in naturally exposed dogs to Trypanosoma cruzi, ninety one stray dogs, capture by the Canine and Feline Control Center （dog pound） from the municipality of Merida, were studied. Before euthanasia, blood samples were taken to detect 72 cruzi antigens by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test and Western Blot and to detect the genome of parasite by Polymerase Chain Reaction. Immediately after euthanasia, hearts were macroscopically evaluated and a sample of the middle right atrial wall of each dog was taken for histopathological analyses. DNA was also obtained from paraffin blocks of seropositives animals with microscopic lesions to detect 72 cruzi genome. Of ninety one dogs, thirteen were seropositive. All seropositive dogs showed an association （P 〈 0.05） with lymphocytoplasmatic myocarditis. The presence of the 72 cruzi genome was also detected by PCR in cardiac septum tissue of seropositive dogs and in all the cases with microscopic lesions indicating the high pathogenicity of the local circulating strain. No association with macroscopic lesions was observed in seropositive dogs. Also, the presence of Dirofilaria immitis （D. immitis） was found in 6% of dogs evaluated. This study demonstrates a high tropism to cardiac tissue and virulence of the strains of 72 cruzi circulating in the studied dog population.展开更多
文摘With the purpose to determine the frequency and type of cardiac lesions in naturally exposed dogs to Trypanosoma cruzi, ninety one stray dogs, capture by the Canine and Feline Control Center （dog pound） from the municipality of Merida, were studied. Before euthanasia, blood samples were taken to detect 72 cruzi antigens by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test and Western Blot and to detect the genome of parasite by Polymerase Chain Reaction. Immediately after euthanasia, hearts were macroscopically evaluated and a sample of the middle right atrial wall of each dog was taken for histopathological analyses. DNA was also obtained from paraffin blocks of seropositives animals with microscopic lesions to detect 72 cruzi genome. Of ninety one dogs, thirteen were seropositive. All seropositive dogs showed an association （P 〈 0.05） with lymphocytoplasmatic myocarditis. The presence of the 72 cruzi genome was also detected by PCR in cardiac septum tissue of seropositive dogs and in all the cases with microscopic lesions indicating the high pathogenicity of the local circulating strain. No association with macroscopic lesions was observed in seropositive dogs. Also, the presence of Dirofilaria immitis （D. immitis） was found in 6% of dogs evaluated. This study demonstrates a high tropism to cardiac tissue and virulence of the strains of 72 cruzi circulating in the studied dog population.
