A randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial comparing the efficacy of aminosidine (paromomycin)-allopurinol combination with the efficacy of meglumine antimoniate-allopurinol combination for the treatment of canine leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum.

The aim of this 6-month, randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of aminosidine-allopurinol combination with that of meglumine antimoniate-allopurinol combination for the treatment of leishmaniosis in dogs without stage III or IV chronic kidney disease. Forty client-owned dogs were randomly assigned to group A [n = 20; aminosidine (15 mg/kg, subcutaneously, once daily, for 28 days) and allopurinol (10 mg/kg, per os, twice daily, for 6 months)] or group B [(n = 20; meglumine antimoniate (100 mg/kg SC, once daily, for 28 days) and allopurinol (10 mg/kg, per os, twice daily, for 6 months)]. Clinical and clinicopathological evaluations, parasitic load measurement (lymph node and bone marrow microscopy, bone marrow real-time PCR), specific serology and leishmanin skin test (LST) were performed at baseline (time 1) and after 14 (time 2), 28 (time 3), 60 (time 4) and 180 (time 5) days. Both treatments were safe and resulted in significant clinical and clinicopathological improvement, reduction of parasitic load and of indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) titer and induction of positive LST. There was no significant difference between groups with regards to the primary outcome measures of the trial that included the proportion of dogs that presented severe treatment-related side effects, were cured and were parasitologically negative at time 5. However, some (proportion of dogs that presented no clinical signs, no hyperglobulinemia and negative serology at time 5) secondary outcome measures showed significant differences in favor of the meglumine antimoniate-allopurinol treatment arm. Treatment-related death occurred in one dog in each group, while injection site reactions appeared at a similar frequency in both groups. Due to the differences in some secondary outcome measures in association with the low power of this trial, it cannot be definitively concluded that the two treatments are equally effective. Therefore, the aminisodine-allopurinol combination cannot be proposed as a first-line treatment of CanL but rather as a second-line treatment that may be particularly useful to avoid repeated administration of meglumine antimoniate and in countries where the latter is not available or registered.

Evaluation of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity of aminosidine (paromomycin)-allopurinol combination in dogs with leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum: A randomized, blinded, controlled study.

Canine leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum is a widespread zoonotic disease. Although aminosidine can be an effective treatment, current therapeutic recommendations do not advocate its use, mainly due to concerns regarding the potential nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity of this drug. The aim of this randomized, blinded, controlled study was to evaluate the nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity of aminosidine-allopurinol combination and compare it with that of meglumine antimonate-allopurinol combination in non-azotemic dogs with leishmaniosis. Forty dogs with leishmaniosis were randomly assigned to be treated with either aminosidine at 15 mg/kg, subcutaneously, once daily for 28 days (group A) or with meglumine antimonate at 100 mg/kg, subcutaneously, once daily for 28 days (group B). In addition to either drug, dogs in both groups were administered allopurinol at 10 mg/kg per os twice daily for 2 months. Kidney function was evaluated through measurement of serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus, and cystatin-c concentrations and complete urinalysis, including protein-to-creatinine ratio, at baseline and after 14, 28, and 60 days from the beginning of the treatment. At the same time points, vestibular and auditory functions were evaluated through neurological examination and brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) recordings of wave I, wave V, inter-wave I-V latencies, and minimum hearing thresholds. None of the dogs developed clinicopathological evidence of kidney disease during the study. Serum creatinine concentration increased >0.3 mg/dl over baseline in 2 dogs in group A and in 5 dogs in group B. Parameters of kidney function were not significantly different or were improved compared to baseline and the only difference between the two groups was the lower concentration of serum creatinine in group A. None of the dogs developed peripheral vestibular syndrome or hearing impairment. At the end of the study, parameters of auditory function were not significantly different or were improved compared to baseline and there were no differences between the two groups. The results of this study show that the nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity of aminosidine, when administered to non-azotemic dogs with leishmaniosis at 15 mg/kg subcutaneously once daily for 28 days along with allopurinol, is minimal and does not differ from that of meglumine antimonate.

Molecular documentation of Bartonella infection in dogs in Greece and Italy.

This study reports the occurrence of "Bartonella rochalimae" in Europe and the presence of Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotypes II and III in dogs in southern Italy and provides DNA sequencing evidence of a potentially new Bartonella sp. infecting dogs in Greece and Italy.

Factors associated with the occurrence of epistaxis in natural canine leishmaniasis (Leishmania infantum).

BACKGROUND: Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a common cause of epistaxis in dogs residing in endemic areas. The pathogenesis of CanL-associated epistaxis has not been fully explored because of the limited number of cases reported so far. HYPOTHESIS: Epistaxis in CanL could be attributed to more than 1 pathomechanism such as hemostatic dysfunction, biochemical abnormalities, chronic rhinitis, and coinfections occurring in various combinations. ANIMALS: Fifty-one dogs with natural CanL. METHODS: The allocation of 51 dogs in this cross-sectional study was based on the presence (n = 24) or absence (n = 27) of epistaxis. The potential associations among epistaxis and concurrent infections (Ehrlichia canis, Bartonella spp., and Aspergillus spp.), biochemical and hemostatic abnormalities, and nasal histopathology were investigated. RESULTS: Hypergammaglobulinemia (P= .044), increased serum viscosity (P= .038), decreased platelet aggregation response to collagen (P= .042), and nasal mucosa ulceration (P= .039) were more common in the dogs with epistaxis than in those without epistaxis. The other significant differences between the 2 groups involved total serum protein (P= .029) and gamma-globulin (P= .013) concentrations, which were higher, and the percentage platelet aggregation to collagen, which was lower (P= .012) in the epistaxis dogs. CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: CanL-associated epistaxis appears to be the result of multiple and variable pathogenetic factors such as thrombocytopathy, hyperglobulinemia-induced serum hyperviscosity, and nasal mucosa ulceration.

Acute myelomonocytic leukaemia with short-term spontaneous remission in a cat.

A 2-year-old, spayed female domestic shorthair cat was referred with a history of anorexia and depression of 1 week duration. On physical examination, the cat was lethargic and febrile, with splenomegaly, anisocoria and ulcerative stomatitis. A complete blood count (CBC) and a biochemistry profile showed leukocytosis, numerous blast cells in the peripheral blood, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinaemia and a positive test for feline leukaemia virus antigen. A diagnosis of acute myelomonocytic leukaemia was made on the basis of the results of bone marrow cytology, histopathology, and immunochemistry (CD3, CD79a, lysozyme, and myeloperoxidase) tests. Following an unexpected 1-month period of clinical and clinicopathological remission without chemotherapy, the cat relapsed and died 1 week later.