Immunohistochemical and serological aspects of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Neotropical primates / Aspectos imuno-histoquímicos e sorológicos da infecção por Toxoplasma gondii em primatas neotropicais

Toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the intracellular coccidian Toxoplasma gondii that infects most warm-blooded vertebrates, is widely distributed and fatal for primates, which are peculiarly susceptible for unknown reason(s). Owing to the increasing number of Neotropical mammal deaths where in T. gondii were detected in analyzed tissues, the present immunohistochemical study analyzed the distribution patterns of immunostainings related to this parasite on primates necropsied at the Laboratório de Patologia Animal of Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), between the years of 2000 and 2014. Furthermore, a serological survey for the disease was conducted for 21 primates from the UPF Zoo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, belonging to genera Sapajus and Alouatta. In a immunohistochemical test performed using streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase, 26.53% positivity was detected in 98 primates. Immunostainings revealed that infection differed among the lung (76.92%), liver (58.33%), heart (50%), brain (42.30%), and kidney (23.07%) tissues. Serology performed through indirect hemagglutination showed reactivity in 85.7% of the animals, all belonging to Sapajus sp., while the three primates that did not show reactivity (14.3%) belonged to Alouatta sp.

A toxoplasmose é causada por Toxoplasma gondii, um coccídeo intracelular que infecta a maioria dos vertebrados homeotérmicos. Esta doença, de ampla distribuição mundial, é fatal em primatas neotropicais, os quais apresentam uma suscetibilidade peculiar, ainda não elucidada. Dado o crescente número de óbitos em primatas com fortes indícios da presença de T. gondii nos tecidos, o presente estudo imuno-histoquímico teve por objetivo verificar o padrão de distribuição de imunomarcações relativas a este parasita nos primatas necropsiados no Laboratório de Patologia Animal da Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), entre os anos 2000 e 2014. Realizou-se, ainda, um inquérito sorológico para T. gondii em 21 primatas neotropicais dos generous Sapajus e Alouatta pertencentes ao Zoológico da UPF, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. A imuno-histoquímica realizada através do método da streptavidina-biotinaperoxidase detectou 26,53% de positividade em 98 primatas. A distribuição das imunomarcações variou entre os tecidos analisados: pulmão (76,92%), fígado (58,33%), coração (50%), cérebro (42,30%), e rins (23,07%). A sorologia dos 21 primatas, realizada através de hemaglutinação indireta, exibiu reatividade em 85,7% dos animais, todos pertencentes ao gênero Sapajus, e os três animais negativos (14,3%) pertenciam ao gênero Alouatta.

Immunohistochemical and serological aspects of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Neotropical primates / Aspectos imuno-histoquímicos e sorológicos da infecção por Toxoplasma gondii em primatas neotropicais

Toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the intracellular coccidian Toxoplasma gondii that infects most warm-blooded vertebrates, is widely distributed and fatal for primates, which are peculiarly susceptible for unknown reason(s). Owing to the increasing number of Neotropical mammal deaths where in T. gondii were detected in analyzed tissues, the present immunohistochemical study analyzed the distribution patterns of immunostainings related to this parasite on primates necropsied at the Laboratório de Patologia Animal of Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), between the years of 2000 and 2014. Furthermore, a serological survey for the disease was conducted for 21 primates from the UPF Zoo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, belonging to genera Sapajus and Alouatta. In a immunohistochemical test performed using streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase, 26.53% positivity was detected in 98 primates. Immunostainings revealed that infection differed among the lung (76.92%), liver (58.33%), heart (50%), brain (42.30%), and kidney (23.07%) tissues. Serology performed through indirect hemagglutination showed reactivity in 85.7% of the animals, all belonging to Sapajus sp., while the three primates that did not show reactivity (14.3%) belonged to Alouatta sp.(AU)

A toxoplasmose é causada por Toxoplasma gondii, um coccídeo intracelular que infecta a maioria dos vertebrados homeotérmicos. Esta doença, de ampla distribuição mundial, é fatal em primatas neotropicais, os quais apresentam uma suscetibilidade peculiar, ainda não elucidada. Dado o crescente número de óbitos em primatas com fortes indícios da presença de T. gondii nos tecidos, o presente estudo imuno-histoquímico teve por objetivo verificar o padrão de distribuição de imunomarcações relativas a este parasita nos primatas necropsiados no Laboratório de Patologia Animal da Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), entre os anos 2000 e 2014. Realizou-se, ainda, um inquérito sorológico para T. gondii em 21 primatas neotropicais dos generous Sapajus e Alouatta pertencentes ao Zoológico da UPF, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. A imuno-histoquímica realizada através do método da streptavidina-biotinaperoxidase detectou 26,53% de positividade em 98 primatas. A distribuição das imunomarcações variou entre os tecidos analisados: pulmão (76,92%), fígado (58,33%), coração (50%), cérebro (42,30%), e rins (23,07%). A sorologia dos 21 primatas, realizada através de hemaglutinação indireta, exibiu reatividade em 85,7% dos animais, todos pertencentes ao gênero Sapajus, e os três animais negativos (14,3%) pertenciam ao gênero Alouatta.(AU)

Uso da imuno-histoquímica no diagnóstico de leptospirose em primatas neotropicais / Role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of leptospirosis in neotropical primates

Background: Leptospirosis is considered the most widespread zoonosis worldwide, occurring more frequently in tropical and developing regions. The aim of the present study was to detect the presence of Leptospira spp. in different primate tissues, using immunohistochemical (IHC) assays, taking advantage of the considerable number of necropsies compatible with a diagnosis of leptospirosis in neotropical primates at the Animal Pathology Laboratory (APL) of the University of Passo Fundo (UPF) in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. Materials, Methods & Results: Paraffin-embedded primate tissue samples were selected from necropsy examinations and subjected to IHC. The streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method was used with diaminobenzidine chromogen (DAB) to verify immunostaining. Of the101 primates tested for Leptospira spp., 51.48% were positive; taining was distributed between lung (76.92%), liver (44.23%), and kidney (32.69%) tissue. Analysis of the combined anatomopathological verification data of the studied organs revealed a high frequency of lesions commonly observed in the tissues of animals exposed to the pathogen. For complementary diagnosis, an anti-Leptospira spp. antibody test was performed in primates at the UPF-Zoo, from which a population of the necropsied animals originated. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was utilized, which demonstrated 90.47% positivity in 21 individuals; sejroe and panama were the most frequent serovars. Discussion: Different intensities of tissue immunostaining were observed. Areas of fragmented or diffuse staining were considered to indicate equal positivity to that indicated by areas of staining with preserved morphology. Of 52 Leptospirapositive primates, most presented some degree of staining in lung samples, which shows a high level of involvement for this organ in primate leptospirosis. […](AU)

Uso da imuno-histoquímica no diagnóstico de leptospirose em primatas neotropicais / Role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of leptospirosis in neotropical primates

Background: Leptospirosis is considered the most widespread zoonosis worldwide, occurring more frequently in tropical and developing regions. The aim of the present study was to detect the presence of Leptospira spp. in different primate tissues, using immunohistochemical (IHC) assays, taking advantage of the considerable number of necropsies compatible with a diagnosis of leptospirosis in neotropical primates at the Animal Pathology Laboratory (APL) of the University of Passo Fundo (UPF) in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. Materials, Methods & Results: Paraffin-embedded primate tissue samples were selected from necropsy examinations and subjected to IHC. The streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method was used with diaminobenzidine chromogen (DAB) to verify immunostaining. Of the101 primates tested for Leptospira spp., 51.48% were positive; taining was distributed between lung (76.92%), liver (44.23%), and kidney (32.69%) tissue. Analysis of the combined anatomopathological verification data of the studied organs revealed a high frequency of lesions commonly observed in the tissues of animals exposed to the pathogen. For complementary diagnosis, an anti-Leptospira spp. antibody test was performed in primates at the UPF-Zoo, from which a population of the necropsied animals originated. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was utilized, which demonstrated 90.47% positivity in 21 individuals; sejroe and panama were the most frequent serovars. Discussion: Different intensities of tissue immunostaining were observed. Areas of fragmented or diffuse staining were considered to indicate equal positivity to that indicated by areas of staining with preserved morphology. Of 52 Leptospirapositive primates, most presented some degree of staining in lung samples, which shows a high level of involvement for this organ in primate leptospirosis. […]