MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF CRYPTOCOCCUS GATTII IN DOGS FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL
Autor(es): Selwyn Arlington Headley, Brígida K. de Alcântara, Alice F. Alfieri, Rogério A. Marcasso, Amauri A, Alfieri, Ana Paula F. R. L. Bracarense
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF CRYPTOCOCCUS GATTII IN DOGS FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL
» Área de pesquisa: PROTOZOOLOGIA
» Instituição: UEL - Universidade Estadual de Londrina
» Agência de fomento e patrocinadores: CNPq, CAPES
Introduction: The Cryptococcus neoformans complex is divided into two distinct species: C. neoformans var. neoformans and C. gattii. In Brazil, human cryptococcosis is endemic with a distinct regionalized occurrence. Cases due to C. neoformans are widespread and occurs throughout the entire country, while C. gattii-associated cryptococcosis is restricted to the northeastern states, with sporadic descriptions from southern Brazil. Objective: Characterize the occurrence of C. gattii in dogs from southern Brazil. Methodology. Two dogs, a 3-year-old, German shepherd, female, and a 6-year-old, male Boxer, were examined at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, southern Brazil. The German shepherd demonstrated progressive increase in the size of the nasal cavity; the Boxer dog had expiratory dyspnea, abnormal pulmonary sounds, and enlargement of superficial lymph. Both dogs died suddenly after which necropsies were performed. Tissues were collected for routine histopathology and histochemical evaluations; duplicate sections were used in PCR assays deigned to detect the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungi. The obtained PCR products were then purified and sequenced. Results: Pathologically, intralesional cryptococcal organisms were identified due to typical features by histopathology and histochemical staining, resulting in nasal cryptococcosis with encephalitic dissemination in the German shepherd dog, and pulmonary cryptococcosis with mycotic nephritis and lymphadenitis in the Boxer dog. The PCR assay amplified a partial 557 bp fragment of the 28S rRNA region of fungi from tissue sections of both dogs. Direct sequencing confirmed the amplicons as C. gattii; BLAST analysis revealed 99% sequence identity with similar isolates deposited in GenBank. Conclusions: The histopathological findings were consistent with those associated with Cryptococcus spp.; the successful amplification and sequencing of the 28S rRNA region of fungi confirmed the organisms as C. gattii. These results suggests that C. gattii might be a potential mycotic agent of dogs from southern Brazil
