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Udonsom R, Adisakwattana P, Popruk S, Reamtong O, Jirapattharasate C, Thiangtrongjit T, Rerkyusuke S, Chanlun A, Hasan T, Kotepui M, Siri S, Nishikawa Y, Mahittikorn A. Evaluation of Immunodiagnostic Performances of Neospora caninum Peroxiredoxin 2 (NcPrx2), Microneme 4 (NcMIC4), and Surface Antigen 1 (NcSAG1) Recombinant Proteins for Bovine Neosporosis. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:531. [PMID: 38396498 PMCID: PMC10885977 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bovine neosporosis is among the main causes of abortion in cattle worldwide, causing serious economic losses in the beef and dairy industries. A highly sensitive and specific diagnostic method for the assessment of the epidemiology of the disease, as well as it surveillance and management, is imperative, due to the absence of an effective treatment or vaccine against neosporosis. In the present study, the immunodiagnostic performance of Neospora caninum peroxiredoxin 2 (NcPrx2), microneme 4 (NcMIC4), and surface antigen 1 (NcSAG1) to detect IgG antibodies against N. caninum in cattle were evaluated and compared with that of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The results revealed that NcSAG1 had the highest sensitivity and specificity, with values of 88.4% and 80.7%, respectively, followed by NcPrx2, with a high sensitivity of 87.0% but a low specificity of 67.0%, whereas NcMIC4 showed sensitivity and specificity of 84.1% and 78.9%, respectively, when compared with IFAT. A high degree of agreement was observed for NcSAG1 (k = 0.713) recombinant protein, showing the highest diagnostic capability, followed by NcMIC4 (k = 0.64) and NcPrx2 (k = 0.558). The present study demonstrates that NcSAG1 is helpful as an antigen marker and also demonstrates the potential immunodiagnostic capabilities of NcPrx2 and NcMIC4, which could serve as alternative diagnostic markers for detecting N. caninum infection in cattle. These markers may find utility in future treatment management, surveillance, and risk assessment of neosporosis in livestock or other animal host species. Further research should be directed toward understanding the in vivo immune response differences resulting from immunization with both recombinant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruenruetai Udonsom
- Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (R.U.); (S.P.)
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Supaluk Popruk
- Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (R.U.); (S.P.)
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (O.R.); (T.T.)
| | - Charoonluk Jirapattharasate
- Department of Pre-Clinic and Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand;
| | - Tipparat Thiangtrongjit
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (O.R.); (T.T.)
| | - Sarinya Rerkyusuke
- Division of Livestock Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.R.); (A.C.)
| | - Aran Chanlun
- Division of Livestock Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.R.); (A.C.)
| | - Tanjila Hasan
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh;
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - Manas Kotepui
- Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand;
| | - Sukhontha Siri
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - Aongart Mahittikorn
- Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (R.U.); (S.P.)
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Rico-San Román L, Amieva R, Horcajo P, García-Sánchez M, Pastor-Fernández I, Ortega-Mora LM, Collantes-Fernández E. Characterization of Neospora caninum virulence factors NcGRA7 and NcROP40 in bovine target cells. Vet Parasitol 2023; 320:109973. [PMID: 37356132 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Bovine neosporosis is one of the major causes of reproductive failure in cattle worldwide, and differences in virulence between isolates have been widely shown. However, the molecular basis and mechanisms underlying virulence in Neospora caninum are mostly unknown. Recently, we demonstrated the involvement of NcGRA7 and NcROP40 in the virulence of N. caninum in a pregnant murine model using single knockout mutants in these genes generated by CRISR/Cas9 technology. In this study, the role of these proteins was investigated in two in vitro models using bovine target cells: trophoblast (F3 cell line) and monocyte-derived macrophages (BoMØ). The proliferation capacity of the single knockout mutant parasites was compared to the wild-type strain, the Nc-Spain7 isolate, using both cell populations. For the bovine trophoblast, no differences were observed in the growth of the defective parasites compared to the wild-type strain, neither in the proliferation kinetics nor in the competition assay. However, in naïve BoMØ, a significant decrease in the proliferation capacity of the mutant parasites was observed from 48 h pi onwards. Stimulation of BoMØ with IFN-γ showed a similar inhibition of tachyzoite growth in defective and wild-type strains in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, BoMØ infected with knockout parasites showed higher expression levels of TLR3, which is involved in pathogen recognition. These results suggest that NcGRA7 and NcROP40 may be involved in the manipulation of innate immune defense mechanisms against neosporosis and confirm the usefulness of the BoMØ model for the evaluation of N. caninum virulence mechanisms. However, the specific functions of these proteins remain unknown, opening the way for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rico-San Román
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Amieva
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Marta García-Sánchez
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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3
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Vallejo R, Benavides J, Arteche-Villasol N, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Calero-Bernal R, Ferreras MC, Criado M, Pérez V, Ortega-Mora LM, Gutiérrez-Expósito D. Experimental infection of sheep at mid-pregnancy with archetypal type II and type III Toxoplasma gondii isolates exhibited different phenotypic traits. Vet Parasitol 2023; 315:109889. [PMID: 36753878 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of reproductive failure in small ruminants. Genotypic diversity of T. gondii strains has been associated with variations in phenotypic traits in in vitro and murine models. However, whether such diversity could influence the outcome of infection in small ruminants remains mostly unexplored. Here, we investigate the outcome of oral challenge in sheep at mid-pregnancy with 10 sporulated oocysts from three different T. gondii isolates belonging to archetypal II and III and selected according to their genetic and phenotypic variations shown in previous studies. Seventy-three pregnant sheep were divided in four groups: G1 infected with TgShSp1 isolate (type II, ToxoDB#3), G2 with TgShSp16 isolate (type II, ToxoDB#3), G3 with TgShSp24 isolate (type III, ToxoDB#2) and G4 of uninfected control sheep. Two different approaches were carried out within this study: (i) the outcome for the pregnancy after infection (n = 33) and (ii) the lesions and parasite tropism and burden at 14 and 28 days post infection (dpi) (n = 40). The onset of hyperthermia and seroconversion occurred one and two days later, respectively in G1 when compared to G2 and G3. However, sheep that suffered from reproductive failure, either by abortion, foetal dead at the time of euthanasia or stillbirth were similar among infected groups (50%, 40% and 47%, respectively). Histological lesions in placentomes and foetal tissues from euthanized animals from the second approach were only detected at 28 dpi and mainly in G1. At 14 dpi, T. gondii-DNA was only detected in G1 in the 11% of the placentomes. However, at 28 dpi the frequency of detection in placentomes was higher in G1 (96%) than in G2 and G3 (7% and 47%, respectively) besides in foetuses was lower in G2 (20%) than in G1 and G3 (100% and 87%, respectively). Regarding late abortions, stillbirths, and lambs of G1, G2 and G3, the frequency of microscopic lesions was similar between groups (79%, 78% and 67%, respectively) whereas T. gondii-DNA was evidenced in 100%, 55% and 100%, respectively. These recently obtained T. gondii isolates led to similar reproductive losses but intra- and inter-genotype variations in the rise of hyperthermia, dynamics of antibodies, frequency of lesions and parasite detection and distribution. Thus, the different phenotypic traits of the isolates could influence the outcome of the infection and mechanisms responsible for it, and further investigations are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Vallejo
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain.
| | - Noive Arteche-Villasol
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Ma Carmen Ferreras
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
| | - Miguel Criado
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Daniel Gutiérrez-Expósito
- Animal Health Department, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s/n, León 24071, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León 24346, Spain
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Mataca AR, Melo RPBD, Oliveira PRF, Camargos MF, Freitas TRP, Galinari GCF, Guedes MIMC, Rebouças M, Porto WJN, Moreira MAS, Schwarz DGG, Mota RA, Silva-Júnior A. Scenario of viral and protozoa diseases in commercial dairy goats from Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Small Rumin Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Ortega-Mora LM, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Rojo-Montejo S, Román-Trufero A, Montenegro-Gregorio D, Puentes-Colorado E, Parra-Romero A, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Osoro K, Collantes-Fernández E. A new inactivated Tritrichomonas foetus vaccine that improves genital clearance of the infection and calving intervals in cattle. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1005556. [PMID: 36277069 PMCID: PMC9582342 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1005556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine trichomonosis is a sexually transmitted disease that is a primary cause of early reproductive failure in cattle. The aim of the present study was to develop a vaccine formulation based on Tritrichomonas foetus trophozoites inactivated by lyophilization and Quil-A-adjuvanted. The safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of this new vaccine formulation (Trichobovis®) administered by two routes (subcutaneous: SC, and intravulvar: IVU) were compared with a commercial vaccine (TrichGuard®) in a well-established experimental bovine model of genital T. foetus infection. The new vaccine was considered safe in cattle because only mild local reactions were found in the vaccination area, which disappeared 3 weeks after administration. Cows immunized with Trichobovis cleared the infection faster than the non-immunized/challenged group (27–28 vs. 60 days; P < 0.05). Not significant differences were observed with the commercial vaccine respect to the positive control group, or between SC and IVU routes. The new vaccine stimulated high serum anti-T. foetus IgG and genital IgA levels and generated an IgG booster effect similar to TrichGuard. IgA levels were associated with significantly earlier genital clearance of T. foetus in cows immunized with Trichobovis by SC route (G1A) or TrichGuard (G2). The strongest association was found in the group G1A on day 14 post-infection (p.i.) (r = −0.74) and in G2 on day 35 p.i. (r = −0.71). The efficacy of vaccination using Trichobovis on the reproductive performance was also investigated under field conditions in a herd where T. foetus was present. The calving intervals were significantly reduced by 45.2 days (P < 0.05), calves were born 28 days earlier (P < 0.05) and an increase of 8.7% in the calving rate (P > 0.05) was observed in the vaccinated group. These results demonstrate that Trichobovis improved the reproductive performance under field conditions in herds where T. foetus infection is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,*Correspondence: Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Rojo-Montejo
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Spain
| | - Alicia Román-Trufero
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Koldo Osoro
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain,Esther Collantes-Fernández
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6
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Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats: serological, pathological, and clinical monitoring during gestation. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3147-3153. [PMID: 36040630 PMCID: PMC9424794 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07633-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant goats. The goats were divided into two groups: group one (G1) comprised of 31 pregnant goats naturally infected with T. gondii, and group two (G2) comprised of seven uninfected pregnant goats from a flock with a history of abortion due to toxoplasmosis. Serological investigation, ultrasonography, and clinical testing were performed on all goats during gestation. Serum samples from goats and their offspring (precolostral) were collected to evaluate the vertical transmission of T. gondii. Samples from placentas and aborted fetuses were also collected for molecular and histopathological analysis. Results showed that in G1, estrus recurrence occurred in 22.6% (7/31) of the goats, embryonic death in 3.3% (1/31), and abortion in 19.4% (6/31). An increase in anti-T. gondii antibodies was observed in G1 goats at day 150 of pregnancy. T. gondii DNA was detected in 42.8% (3/7) of aborted fetuses and was associated with histopathological lesions caused by this parasite. Moreover, toxoplasmosis in field conditions caused by genotype ToxoDB #1 in pregnant goats resulted in severe reproductive loss in the flock.
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Gaucher Disease Diagnosis Using Lyso-Gb1 on Dry Blood Spot Samples: Time to Change the Paradigm? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031627. [PMID: 35163551 PMCID: PMC8835963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
For years, the gold standard for diagnosing Gaucher disease (GD) has been detecting reduced β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) activity in peripheral blood cells combined with GBA1 mutation analysis. The use of dried blood spot (DBS) specimens offers many advantages, including easy collection, the need for a small amount of blood, and simpler transportation. However, DBS has limitations for measuring GCase activity. In this paper, we recount our cross-sectional study and publish seven years of experience using DBS samples and levels of the deacylated form of glucocerebroside, glucosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb1), for GD diagnosis. Of 444 screened subjects, 99 (22.3%) were diagnosed with GD at a median (range) age of 21 (1–78) years. Lyso-Gb levels for genetically confirmed GD patients vs. subjects negative to GD diagnosis were 252 (9–1340) ng/mL and 5.4 (1.5–16) ng/mL, respectively. Patients diagnosed with GD1 and mild GBA1 variants had lower median (range) lyso-Gb1, 194 (9–1050), compared to GD1 and severe GBA1 variants, 447 (38–1340) ng/mL, and neuronopathic GD, 325 (116–1270) ng/mL (p = 0.001). Subjects with heterozygous GBA1 variants (carrier) had higher lyso-Gb1 levels, 5.8 (2.5–15.3) ng/mL, compared to wild-type GBA1, 4.9 (1.5–16), ng/mL (p = 0.001). Lyso-Gb1 levels, median (range), were 5 (2.7–10.7) in heterozygous GBA1 carriers with Parkinson’s disease (PD), similar to lyso-Gb1 levels in subjects without PD. We call for a paradigm change for the diagnosis of GD based on lyso-Gb1 measurements and confirmatory GBA1 mutation analyses in DBS. Lyso-Gb1 levels could not be used to differentiate between heterozygous GBA1 carriers and wild type.
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Sánchez-Sánchez R, Ferre I, Re M, Pérez-Arroyo B, Cleofé-Resta D, García VH, Díaz MP, Ferrer LM, Ruiz H, Vallejo-García R, Benavides J, Hulverson MA, Choi R, Whitman GR, Hemphill A, Van Voorhis WC, Ortega-Mora LM. A short-term treatment with BKI-1294 does not protect foetuses from sheep experimentally infected with Neospora caninum tachyzoites during pregnancy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2021; 17:176-185. [PMID: 34655903 PMCID: PMC8526916 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Neospora caninum Calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (NcCDPK1) inhibitor BKI-1294 had demonstrated excellent efficacy in a pregnant mouse model of neosporosis, and was also highly efficacious in a pregnant sheep model of toxoplasmosis. In this work, we present the efficacy of BKI-1294 treatment (dosed 5 times orally every 48 h) starting 48 h after intravenous infection of sheep with 105 Nc-Spain7 tachyzoites at mid-pregnancy. In the dams, BKI-1294 plasma concentrations were above the IC50 for N. caninum for 12-15 days. In treated sheep, when they were compared to untreated ones, we observed a minor increase in rectal temperature, higher IFNγ levels after blood stimulation in vitro, and a minor increase of IgG levels against N. caninum soluble antigens through day 28 post-infection. Additionally, the anti-NcSAG1 and anti-NcSAG4 IgGs were lower in treated dams on days 21 and 42 post-infection. However, BKI-1294 did not protect against abortion (87% foetal mortality in both infected groups, treated and untreated) and did not reduce transplacental transmission, parasite load or lesions in placentomes and foetal brain. The lack of foetal protection was likely caused by short systemic exposure in the dams and suboptimal foetal exposure to this parasitostatic drug, which was unable to reduce replication of the likely established N. caninum tachyzoites in the foetus at the moment of treatment. New BKIs with a very low plasma clearance and good ability to cross the blood-brain and placental barriers need to be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michela Re
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bárbara Pérez-Arroyo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Darío Cleofé-Resta
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victor Herrero García
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Pizarro Díaz
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ferrer
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, C/ Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Hector Ruiz
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, C/ Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain
| | - Matthew A Hulverson
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 98109-4766, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan Choi
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 98109-4766, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Grant R Whitman
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 98109-4766, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Wesley C Van Voorhis
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 98109-4766, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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9
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González-Barrio D, Diezma-Díaz C, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Tabanera E, Jiménez-Meléndez A, Pizarro M, González-Huecas M, Ferre I, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. Identification of molecular biomarkers associated with disease progression in the testis of bulls infected with Besnoitia besnoiti. Vet Res 2021; 52:106. [PMID: 34294155 PMCID: PMC8296687 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-021-00974-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breeding bulls infected with Besnoitia besnoiti may develop sterility during either acute or chronic infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of B. besnoiti infection with prognosis value in bull sterility. Accordingly, five well-characterized groups of naturally and experimentally infected males were selected for the study based on clinical signs and lesions compatible with B. besnoiti infection, serological results and parasite detection. A broad panel of molecular markers representative of endothelial activation and fibrosis was investigated and complemented with a histopathological approach that included conventional histology and immunohistochemistry. The results indicated the predominance of an intense inflammatory infiltrate composed mainly of resident and recruited circulating macrophages and to a lesser extent of CD3+ cells in infected bulls. In addition, a few biomarkers were associated with acute, chronic or subclinical bovine besnoitiosis. The testicular parenchyma showed a higher number of differentially expressed genes in natural infections (acute and chronic infections) versus scrotal skin in experimental infections (subclinical infection). In subclinical infections, most genes were downregulated except for the CCL24 and CXCL2 genes, which were upregulated. In contrast, the acute phase was mainly characterized by the upregulation of IL-1α, IL-6 and TIMP1, whereas in the chronic phase, the upregulation of ICAM and the downregulation of MMP13, PLAT and IL-1α were the most relevant findings. Macrophages could be responsible for the highest level of gene regulation in the testicular parenchyma of severely affected and sterile bulls, and all these genes could be prognostic markers of sterility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David González-Barrio
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carlos Diezma-Díaz
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Enrique Tabanera
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Jiménez-Meléndez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Pizarro
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta González-Huecas
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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10
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García-Sánchez M, Jiménez-Pelayo L, Vázquez P, Horcajo P, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Jiménez-Meléndez A, Osoro K, Ortega-Mora LM, Collantes-Fernández E. Maternal and Foetal Cellular Immune Responses in Dams Infected With High- and Low- Virulence Isolates of Neospora caninum at Mid-Gestation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:684670. [PMID: 34239816 PMCID: PMC8259741 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.684670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine neosporosis is currently considered one of the main causes of abortion in cattle worldwide and the outcome of the infection is, in part, determined by Neospora caninum isolate virulence. However, the dam and foetal immune responses associated with this factor are largely unknown. We used a model of bovine infection at day 110 of gestation to study the early infection dynamics (10- and 20-days post-infection, dpi) after experimental challenge with high- and low-virulence isolates of N. caninum (Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Spain1H, respectively). In the present work, dam peripheral cellular immune responses were monitored twice a week from -1 to 20 dpi. At different time points, IFN-γ and IL-4 production was investigated in stimulated dam blood and the percentage of monocytes, NK cells, B cells and T cells (CD4+, CD8+ and γδ) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were determined by flow cytometry. In addition, maternal iliofemoral lymph nodes and foetal spleen and thymus were collected at 10 and 20 dpi for the study of the same cell subpopulations. Peripheral immune response dynamics were similar after the infection with both isolates, with a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ T cells at 6 and 9 dpi in PBMC, coincident with the higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 release. However, the levels of IFN-γ were significantly higher and an increase in CD8+ T cells at 9, 13 and 20 dpi was observed in the dams infected with Nc-Spain7. Nc-Spain1H infection induced higher IL4 levels in stimulated blood and a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio in PBMC. The analysis of the maternal iliofemoral lymph node showed a significant enhancement in the percentage of NK, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells for the animals infected with the highly virulent isolate and euthanized at 20 dpi. Regarding the foetal responses, the most remarkable result was an increase in the percentage of monocytes at 20 dpi in the spleen of foetuses from both infected groups, which suggests that foetuses were able to respond to N. caninum infection at mid gestation. This work provides insights into how isolate virulence affects the maternal and foetal immune responses generated against N. caninum, which may influence the course of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta García-Sánchez
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Vázquez
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Koldo Osoro
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), Villaviciosa, Spain
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11
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Venturoso PDJS, Venturoso OJ, Silva GG, Maia MO, Witter R, Aguiar DM, Pacheco RDC, Ferreira E, Costa AJD, Santos-Doni TRD. Risk factor analysis associated with Neospora caninum in dairy cattle in Western Brazilian Amazon. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 30:e023020. [PMID: 33605388 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-296120201088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is considered to be one of the main causes of abortion among cattle. The present survey was conducted in the municipality of Rolim de Moura, Rondônia State, Brazil. A questionnaire that investigates the epidemiological aspects of neosporosis was used in the analysis of risk factors associated with the animal-level and herd-level prevalence in dairy cattle. A total of 416 bovine blood samples were collected from 30 farms, and N. caninum antibody levels were measured by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT). Analysis of dairy cattle serum samples revealed the presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies to be 47.36% (n = 197). Risk factors associated with N. caninum infection were the management system and access locations of dogs. The results of the present survey indicated that infection of dairy cattle with N. caninum is widespread in the studied region of Western Amazon, which has implications for prevention and control of neosporosis in this region. Therefore, integrated control strategies and measures are recommended to prevent and control N. caninum infection in dairy cattle. In addition, direct contact between dairy cattle, dogs and wild animals, which can influence the epidemiology of neosporosis, should be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Osvaldo Juliatti Venturoso
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Rondônia - UNIR, Rolim de Moura, RO, Brasil
| | - Gisele Glomba Silva
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Rondônia - UNIR, Rolim de Moura, RO, Brasil
| | - Maerle Oliveira Maia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Rute Witter
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Daniel Moura Aguiar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Richard de Campos Pacheco
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso - UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
| | - Elvino Ferreira
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Rondônia - UNIR, Rolim de Moura, RO, Brasil
| | - Alvimar José da Costa
- Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias - FCAV, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil
| | - Thais Rabelo Dos Santos-Doni
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM, Unaí, MG, Brasil
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12
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Fernández-Escobar M, Calero-Bernal R, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Vallejo R, Benavides J, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. Isolation, Genotyping, and Mouse Virulence Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii From Free Ranging Iberian Pigs. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:604782. [PMID: 33330725 PMCID: PMC7714755 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.604782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to isolate and perform molecular and phenotypic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains infecting Iberian pigs bred under semi-free conditions and destined for human consumption. Blood and heart tissue samples from 361 fattening pigs from 10 various herds selected in the main areas of Iberian pig production were collected at a slaughterhouse; the sera were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA kit, and a mouse bioassay was carried out using heart muscle of seropositive individual representatives from each geographical location. Seventy-nine (21.9%) of the 361 animals tested positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies according to the serology test. Fifteen samples of myocardial tissue were subjected to bioassay and 5 isolates (TgPigSp1 to TgPigSp5) were obtained. The isolates were characterized by using 11 PCR-RFLP genetic markers; three isolates had a ToxoDB #3 genotype (3/5) and two isolates had a ToxoDB #2 genotype (2/5). The TgPigSp1 and TgPigSp4 isolates were selected for virulence in mice characterization as instances of each different RFLP-genotype found. The TgPigSp1 isolate (#2 genotype) was virulent in mice with notable cumulative mortality (87.5%) and morbidity rates (100%); the TgPigSp4 (#3) was nonvirulent and triggered mild clinical signs in 42.1% of seropositive mice. Infection dynamics and organ distribution of both isolates were analyzed; the data revealed significant differences, including substantially higher parasite load in the lung during the acute phase of infection, in mice infected with TgPigSp1 than in the case of TgPigSp4 (median parasite load 7.6 vs. 0 zoites/mg, respectively; p < 0.05). Furthermore, degrees of severity of detected histopathological lesions appeared to be related to higher parasite burdens. Taking into account the unexpectedly high mortality rate and parasite load associated with the clonal genotype III, which is traditionally considered nonvirulent in mice, the need for further investigation and characterization of the T. gondii strains circulating in any host in Europe is emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Vallejo
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de León (CSIC-ULE), León, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de León (CSIC-ULE), León, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- Salud Veterinaria y Zoonosis (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Gutiérrez-Expósito D, González-Warleta M, Espinosa J, Vallejo-García R, Castro-Hermida JA, Calvo C, Ferreras MC, Pérez V, Benavides J, Mezo M. Maternal immune response in the placenta of sheep during recrudescence of natural congenital infection of Neospora caninum. Vet Parasitol 2020; 285:109204. [PMID: 32916458 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In order to gain further insight into the pathogenesis and transmission of ovine neosporosis, the serological response of 13 naturally infected pregnant sheep was monitored. All sheep were euthanized upon the detection of a sharp increase in the level of specific antibodies against N. caninum in order to study the maternal immune response after the recrudescence of a chronic infection. Ten sheep were euthanized between 84 and 118 days of gestation, whereas the three remaining and three control not infected, pregnant sheep were euthanized at 135 days of gestation after no sharp increase in antibodies was detected. Vertical transmission was confirmed in 11 sheep by detection of N. caninum-DNA in at least one fetus, confirming recrudescence. Not all of fetuses showed pathologic microscopic lesions, however, multifocal non-purulent encephalitis was the main finding. Furthermore, nine out of the 11 vertical transmission positive sheep had lesions in placentomes (mainly multifocal necrotic foci), and the parasite was detected in eight out of 11 placentas by PCR and/or immunohistochemestry. The placentomes from sheep that suffered recrudescence showed an increased number of T lymphocytes CD3+ (CD4/CD8 < 1) and macrophages (MHC-II+), assessed by immunohistochemestry, together with an up-regulation of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, TNFα, IL-2 and IL-18. IL-17 was only upregulated in the three infected sheep that did not have a sharp increase in antibody levels. In the sheep that showed fetal death at the time of euthanasia (n = 3) the placental microscopic lesions were more severe, the inflammatory infiltrate was higher, and the upregulation of cytokines was greater than in those sheep carrying viable fetuses. This study suggests that, similarly to bovine neosporosis, the time of gestation when recrudescence occurs determines the viability of the fetuses and, thus, seems to be related to the severity of lesions and immune response in the placenta. These results suggest that there might be a correlation, either as cause or as a consequence, between protection against vertical transmission of the parasite and a milder maternal serological response together with a high level of transcription of IL-17 in the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gutiérrez-Expósito
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain; Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña. (CSIC-Universidad de León). Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Marta González-Warleta
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Jose Espinosa
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Raquel Vallejo-García
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Castro-Hermida
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Carmen Calvo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
| | - María C Ferreras
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de León. Campus De Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña. (CSIC-Universidad de León). Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Mercedes Mezo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología. Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo, AGACAL-Xunta de Galicia. Ctra. Betanzos a Mesón do Vento km 7, Abegondo, 15318, A Coruña, Spain
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14
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Fernández-Escobar M, Calero-Bernal R, Benavides J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Guerrero-Molina MC, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Collantes-Fernández E, Ortega-Mora LM. Isolation and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in Spanish sheep flocks. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:396. [PMID: 32758283 PMCID: PMC7404076 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04275-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of abortion in small ruminants and presents a zoonotic risk when undercooked meat containing cysts is consumed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity among the T. gondii strains circulating in ovine livestock in Spain. Methods Selected samples collected from abortion outbreaks due to toxoplasmosis (n = 31) and from chronically infected adult sheep at slaughterhouses (n = 50) in different Spanish regions were bioassayed in mice, aiming at parasite isolation. In addition, all original clinical samples and the resulting isolates were genotyped by multi-nested PCR-RFLP analysis of 11 molecular markers and by PCR-DNA sequencing of portions of the SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 genes. Results As a result, 30 isolates were obtained from 9 Spanish regions: 10 isolates from abortion-derived samples and 20 isolates from adult myocardial tissues. Overall, 3 genotypes were found: ToxoDB#3 (type II PRU variant) in 90% (27/30) of isolates, ToxoDB#2 (clonal type III) in 6.7% (2/30), and ToxoDB#1 (clonal type II) in 3.3% (1/30). When T. gondii-positive tissue samples (n = 151) were directly subjected to RFLP genotyping, complete restriction profiles were obtained for 33% of samples, and up to 98% of the specimens belonged to the type II PRU variant. A foetal brain showed a clonal type II pattern, and four specimens showed unexpected type I alleles at the SAG3 marker, including two foetal brains that showed I + II alleles as co-infection events. Amplicons of SAG3, GRA6 and GRA7 obtained from isolates and clinical samples were subjected to sequencing, allowing us to confirm RFLP results and to detect different single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Conclusions The present study informed the existence of a predominant type II PRU variant genotype (ToxoDB#3) infecting domestic sheep in Spain, in both abortion cases and chronic infections in adults, coexisting with other clonal (ToxoDB#1 and ToxoDB#2), much less frequent genotypes, as well as polymorphic strains as revealed by clinical sample genotyping. The use of multilocus sequence typing aided in accurately estimating T. gondii intragenotype diversity. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Fernández-Escobar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Calero-Bernal
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), 24346, León, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-innova S.L, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Cristina Guerrero-Molina
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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15
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Reichel MP, Wahl LC, Ellis JT. Research into Neospora caninum-What Have We Learnt in the Last Thirty Years? Pathogens 2020; 9:E505. [PMID: 32585955 PMCID: PMC7350369 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9060505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neospora caninum has been recognised world-wide, first as a disease of dogs, then as an important cause of abortions in cattle for the past thirty years. Over that time period, there have been improvements in the diagnosis of infection and abortion, new tests have been developed and validated, and it is timely to review progress to date. METHODS Bibliometric methods were used to identify major trends and research topics present in the published literature on N. caninum. The tools used were SWIFT-Review, VOSviewer and SciMAT, along with the published papers found in the MEDLINE, Dimensions and Web of Science databases. A systematic review of the published Neospora literature (n = 2933) was also carried out via MEDLINE and systematically appraised for publications relevant to the pathogenesis, pathology and diagnosis of Neospora abortions. RESULTS A total of 92 publications were included in the final analysis and grouped into four main time periods. In these four different time periods, the main research themes were "dogs", "abortion", "seroprevalence" and "infection". Diagnostics, including PCR, dominated the first two time periods, with an increased focus on transmission and abortions, and its risk factors in cattle. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal analyses indicated that the main themes were consistently investigated over the last 30 years through a wide range of studies, with evolving emphasis initially on dogs and diagnostic test development, followed by application to cattle, the identification of the risk factors leading to abortion, and in the latter time periods, an understanding of the immunity and a search for vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Reichel
- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China;
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA
| | - Lloyd C. Wahl
- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China;
| | - John T. Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia;
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16
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Lindsay DS, Dubey JP. Neosporosis, Toxoplasmosis, and Sarcocystosis in Ruminants: An Update. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2020; 36:205-222. [PMID: 32029185 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Sarcocystis spp. are related Apicomplexan parasites that have 2 hosts in their life cycles. The definitive hosts excrete unsporulated (Neospora caninum, T gondii) or sporulated (Sarcocystis spp.) oocysts in their feces after ingesting tissue cysts from the tissues of ruminant intermediate hosts. These coccidians can cause abortion and neonatal mortality in ruminants. T gondii and Sarcocystis hominis (from cattle) are zoonotic. This article reviews information on the etiology, life cycle, diagnosis, control and prevention of these parasites and the diseases they cause in ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Lindsay
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Center for One Health Research, Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 1410 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0342, USA.
| | - J P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
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17
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González-Barrio D, Diezma-Díaz C, Tabanera E, Aguado-Criado E, Pizarro M, González-Huecas M, Ferre I, Jiménez-Meléndez A, Criado F, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. Vascular wall injury and inflammation are key pathogenic mechanisms responsible for early testicular degeneration during acute besnoitiosis in bulls. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:113. [PMID: 32122380 PMCID: PMC7053152 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3959-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Besnoitia besnoiti, is a chronic and debilitating cattle disease that notably impairs fertility. Acutely infected bulls may develop respiratory signs and orchitis, and sterility has been reported in chronic infections. However, the pathogenesis of acute disease and its impact on reproductive function remain unknown. Methods Herein, we studied the microscopic lesions as well as parasite presence and load in the testis (pampiniform plexus, testicular parenchyma and scrotal skin) of seven bulls with an acute B. besnoiti infection. Acute infection was confirmed by serological techniques (IgM seropositive results and IgG seronegative results) and subsequent parasite detection by PCR and histological techniques. Results The most parasitized tissue was the scrotal skin. Moreover, the presence of tachyzoites, as shown by immunohistochemistry, was associated with vasculitis, and three bulls had already developed juvenile tissue cysts. In all animals, severe endothelial injury was evidenced by marked congestion, thrombosis, necrotizing vasculitis and angiogenesis, among others, in the pampiniform plexus, testicular parenchyma and scrotal skin. Vascular lesions coexisted with lesions characteristic of a chronic infection in the majority of bulls: hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and a marked diffuse fibroplasia in the dermis of the scrotum. An intense inflammatory infiltrate was also observed in the testicular parenchyma accompanied by different degrees of germline atrophy in the seminiferous tubules with the disappearance of various strata of germ cells in four bulls. Conclusions This study confirmed that severe acute besnoitiosis leads to early sterility that might be permanent, which is supported by the severe lesions observed. Consequently, we hypothesized that testicular degeneration might be a consequence of (i) thermoregulation failure induced by vascular lesions in pampiniform plexus and scrotal skin lesions; (ii) severe vascular wall injury induced by the inflammatory response in the testis; and (iii) blood-testis barrier damage and alteration of spermatogenesis by immunoresponse.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- David González-Barrio
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carlos Diezma-Díaz
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Tabanera
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Aguado-Criado
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Pizarro
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta González-Huecas
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Jiménez-Meléndez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Criado
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Abdelbaky HH, Nishimura M, Shimoda N, Hiasa J, Fereig RM, Tokimitsu H, Inokuma H, Nishikawa Y. Evaluation of Neospora caninum serodiagnostic antigens for bovine neosporosis. Parasitol Int 2019; 75:102045. [PMID: 31881363 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Abortion and reproductive failure caused by Neospora caninum infection has a dramatic negative economic impact on the cattle industry. To date, no definitive serodiagnostic tool for assessing N. caninum abortion has been reported. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of numerous N. caninum antigens in relation to abortion in cattle. Five recombinant proteins with potential as diagnostic antigens (NcGRA6, NcGRA7, NcGRA14, NcCyP, and NcSAG1) were compared by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using sera from mice and cattle experimentally infected with N. caninum. The best-performing three antigens (NcSAG1, NcGRA7, and NcGRA6) were evaluated by IgG-iELISAs to assess their utility in diagnosing Neospora abortion using sera from confirmed N. caninum-aborted dams based on immunohistochemical assays (IHC). Additionally, all samples were tested using a commercial N. caninum antibody competitive ELISA (cELISA). The iELISAs against both NcSAG1 and NcGRA7 could efficiently distinguish IHC positive and negative samples compared with iELISAs against NcGRA6 and the cELISA. Furthermore, antibody levels against NcSAG1 and NcGRA7 were significantly higher in aborting cows comparing with infected but non-aborted dams in a herd experiencing a Neospora abortion outbreak. Tracking the dynamics of antibody levels during pregnancy revealed a marked increase in NcSAG1- and NcGRA7-specific antibodies at the last trimester of pregnancy. In contrast, no marked differences in antibody levels against either antigen were noted in neurologically symptomatic calves compared with non-symptomatic infected calves. Our data suggests NcSAG1 and NcGRA7 as indicators for Neospora abortion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan H Abdelbaky
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Maki Nishimura
- Shihoro Agricultural Cooperative Association, Hokkaido 080-1200, Japan
| | - Naomi Shimoda
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Jun Hiasa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Shihoro Agricultural Cooperative Association, Hokkaido 080-1200, Japan
| | - Ragab M Fereig
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Hiromi Tokimitsu
- Shihoro Agricultural Cooperative Association, Hokkaido 080-1200, Japan
| | - Hisashi Inokuma
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nishikawa
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
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19
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[A comparative study of commercial ELISAs for antibody detection in the diagnostic investigation of Neospora caninum-associated abortion in dairy cattle herds in Uruguay]. Rev Argent Microbiol 2019; 52:107-114. [PMID: 31787448 DOI: 10.1016/j.ram.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine abortion causes considerable economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide and is of concern for public health and food safety, given that many abortigenic infectious agents of cattle are zoonotic. Despite its importance, the etiological diagnosis of abortion in cattle is challenging both for veterinary practitioners and laboratory technicians, partly due to the difficulty in recovering aborted fetuses under extensive field conditions for pathological and microbiological diagnostic investigation, and in the early identification of aborted dams. Neospora caninum is a cosmopolitan protozoon identified as one of the main abortigenic agents in cattle worldwide. In this study we propose a comparative seroepidemiological approach for the diagnosis of abortion by N. caninum in dairy cattle. Samples from 12 to 93 cows/heifers with and without recent history of abortion (cases and controls) in four commercial dairy farms were tested. The ratio of controls to cases tested varied from 1:1 to 4.6:1. All samples (n=230) were analyzed by three commercial ELISA kits for the detection of anti-N. caninum antibodies. In all four dairy farms, the proportion of seropositive cows and/or heifers per kit was significantly higher in the cases than in the controls (Odds Ratios=5.13 to 36, p=0.0002 to 0.0485). The agreement among the three kits varied from weak to strong (Coheńs kappa coefficients=0.58 to 0.83). We conclude that, despite the imperfect agreement between these kits, all of them allowed to arrive at similar conclusions regarding the statistical association between N. caninum seropositivity and abortion, thus representing a useful tool for the diagnostic approach at the population level under field conditions.
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20
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A time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for the detection of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in sheep. Vet Parasitol 2019; 276:108994. [PMID: 31778941 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.108994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite (Phylum Apicomplexa) that has been recently suggested as a relevant cause of reproductive disorders in small ruminants. The aim of the present study is to develop and validate a new serological test based on time resolved fluorescency using N. caninum GRA7 recombinant antigen (GRA7-TRFIA) for the detection of N. caninum antibodies in sheep. A total of 346 serum samples (208 from experimentally infected sheep, 117 from a dairy farm with a previous history of Neospora-associated abortion, and 21 negative sera) were used. The validation of the new assay was performed by the evaluation of assay precision, analytical sensitivity (Se), accuracy and cross reactivity. In the experimentally infected sheep, antibody kinetics was compared between GRA7-TRFIA and an in house N. caninum tachyzoite soluble extract-based ELISA (NcSALUVET ELISA) by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. The cut-off and diagnostic Se and specificity (Sp) of GRA7-TRFIA was estimated by ROC analysis with field samples. In addition, concordance and correlation between GRA7-TRFIA and a commercial ELISA and NcSALUVET ELISA were assessed by kappa value and Spearman correlation coefficient, respectively. Overall, GRA7-TRFIA showed an adequate precision, analytical Se and accuracy to detect anti-N. caninum antibodies in ovine serum, and no cross reactivity with the closely related protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. In naturally infected sheep, 100% Se and 95.35% Sp were obtained for a cut-off point of 62.68 Units of Fluorometry for N. caninum (UFN). Moreover, GRA7-TRFIA allowed earlier detection of N. caninum infection than NcSALUVET ELISA in experimentally infected sheep.
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21
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Jiménez-Meléndez A, Fernández-Álvarez M, Calle A, Ramírez MÁ, Diezma-Díaz C, Vázquez-Arbaizar P, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. Lytic cycle of Besnoitia besnoiti tachyzoites displays similar features in primary bovine endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:517. [PMID: 31685001 PMCID: PMC6829937 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3777-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bovine besnoitiosis, caused by the cyst-forming apicomplexan parasite Besnoitia besnoiti, is a chronic and debilitating cattle disease that continues to spread in Europe in the absence of control tools. In this scenario, in vitro culture systems are valuable tools to carry out drug screenings and to unravel host-parasite interactions. However, studies performed in bovine target cells are scarce. METHODS The objective of the present study was to obtain primary bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) and fibroblast cell cultures, target cells during the acute and the chronic stage of the disease, respectively, from healthy bovine donors. Afterwards, expression of surface (CD31, CD34 and CD44) and intracellular markers (vimentin and cytokeratin) was studied to characterize cell populations by flow cytometry. Next, the lytic cycle of B. besnoiti tachyzoites was studied in both target cells. Invasion rates (IRs) were determined by immunofluorescence at several time points post-infection, and proliferation kinetics were studied by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Finally, the influence of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) co-infection on the host cell machinery, and consequently on B. besnoiti invasion and proliferation, was investigated in BAECs. RESULTS Morphology and cytometry results confirmed the endothelial and fibroblast origins. CD31 was the surface marker that best discriminated between BAECs and fibroblasts, since fibroblasts lacked CD31 labelling. Expression of CD34 was weak in low-passage BAECs and absent in high-passage BAECs and fibroblasts. Positive labelling for CD44, vimentin and cytokeratin was observed in both BAECs and fibroblasts. Regarding the lytic cycle of the parasite, although low invasion rates (approximately 3-4%) were found in both cell culture systems, more invasion was observed in BAECs at 24 and 72 hpi. The proliferation kinetics did not differ between BAECs and fibroblasts. BVDV infection favoured early Besnoitia invasion but there was no difference in tachyzoite yields observed in BVDV-BAECs compared to BAECs. CONCLUSIONS We have generated and characterized two novel standardized in vitro models for Besnoitia besnoiti infection based on bovine primary target BAECs and fibroblasts, and have shown the relevance of BVDV coinfections, which should be considered in further studies with other cattle pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Jiménez-Meléndez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Fernández-Álvarez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandra Calle
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Avenida Puerta de Hierro 12, local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Ramírez
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Avenida Puerta de Hierro 12, local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Diezma-Díaz
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Vázquez-Arbaizar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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22
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Jiménez-Pelayo L, García-Sánchez M, Vázquez P, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Horcajo P, Collantes-Fernández E, Blanco-Murcia J, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Román-Trufero A, Osoro K, Benavides J, Ortega-Mora LM. Early Neospora caninum infection dynamics in cattle after inoculation at mid-gestation with high (Nc-Spain7)- or low (Nc-Spain1H)-virulence isolates. Vet Res 2019; 50:72. [PMID: 31551079 PMCID: PMC6760050 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-019-0691-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Early Neospora caninum infection dynamics were investigated in pregnant heifers intravenously inoculated with PBS (G-Control) or 107 tachyzoites of high (G-NcSpain7)- or low (G-NcSpain1H)-virulence isolates at 110 days of gestation. Serial culling at 10 and 20 days post-infection (dpi) was performed. Fever was detected at 1 dpi in both infected groups (P < 0.0001), and a second peak was detected at 3 dpi only in G-NcSpain7 (P < 0.0001). At 10 dpi, Nc-Spain7 was detected in placental samples from one animal related to focal necrosis, and Nc-Spain7 transmission was observed, although no foetal lesions were associated with this finding. The presence of Nc-Spain1H in the placenta or foetuses, as well as lesions, were not detected at 10 dpi. At 20 dpi, G-NcSpain7 animals showed almost 100% positive placental tissues and severe focal necrosis as well as 100% transmission. Remarkably, foetal mortality was detected in two G-NcSpain7 heifers. Only one animal from G-NcSpain1H presented positive placental samples. No foetal mortality was detected, and lesions and parasite transmission to the foetus were not observed in this group. Finally, 100% of G-NcSpain7 heifers at 20 dpi presented specific antibodies, while only 60% of G-NcSpain1H animals presented specific antibodies at 20 dpi. In addition, earlier seroconversion in G-Nc-Spain7 was observed. In conclusion, tachyzoites from Nc-Spain7 reached the placenta earlier and multiplied, leading to lesion development, transmission to the foetus and foetal mortality, whereas Nc-Spain1H showed delayed infection of the placenta and no lesional development or transmission during early infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta García-Sánchez
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Vázquez
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- Saluvet-innova, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Blanco-Murcia
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alicia Román-Trufero
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), 33300 Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Koldo Osoro
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), 33300 Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), 24346 León, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- Saluvet, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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23
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Vázquez P, Osoro K, Fernández M, Román-Trufero A, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Jiménez-Pelayo L, García-Sánchez M, Rojo-Montejo S, Benavides J, Horcajo P, Ortega-Mora LM. Effects of challenge dose and inoculation route of the virulent Neospora caninum Nc-Spain7 isolate in pregnant cattle at mid-gestation. Vet Res 2019; 50:68. [PMID: 31547877 PMCID: PMC6755697 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-019-0686-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parameters such as pathogen dose and inoculation route are paramount in animal models when studying disease pathogenesis. Here, clinical findings, including foetal mortality, parasite transmission rates and lesion severity, and immune responses were evaluated in Asturiana pregnant heifers at day 110 of gestation challenged with a virulent (Nc-Spain7) Neospora caninum isolate. Four different doses of parasite tachyzoites were inoculated intravenously (IV1, 107 parasites, n = 6; IV2, 105, n = 6; IV3, 103, n = 6; and IV4, 102, n = 5), and the subcutaneous (SC) inoculation route was also assessed for the dose of 105 tachyzoites (SC, n = 6). In addition, a control group (n = 4 pregnant heifers) was evaluated. Foetal death was observed in all infected groups from 25 to 62 days post-infection, varying with the dose (IV1:4/6, IV2:3/6; IV4:2/5, IV3:1/6), and was three times less frequently associated with the SC route than IV inoculation (1/6 vs. 3/6). A dose-dependent effect for parasite loads in placental and foetal brain tissues was also detected. After SC challenge, a reduced number of tachyzoites were able to reach foetal brain tissues, and no lesions were observed. In calves, specific IgG responses in precolostral sera were mainly associated with high-dose groups (IV1 [100.0%] and IV2 [66.7%]), and cerebral parasite DNA detection was scarce (3/18). In dams, IFN-γ production and the dynamics of anti-N. caninum IgG antibodies varied with the dose, and the cell-mediated immune response was also found to be route-dependent. Our results confirm the influence of parasite dose and inoculation route on the outcome and dynamics of bovine neosporosis at mid-gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Vázquez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Koldo Osoro
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Animal Health Department, University of León CSIC-ULE, 24346, Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - Alicia Román-Trufero
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET-Innova S.L., Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta García-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Rojo-Montejo
- Regional Service for Research and Agri-Food Development (SERIDA), 33300, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Mountain Livestock Institute, Animal Health Department, University of León CSIC-ULE, 24346, Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Treatment with Bumped Kinase Inhibitor 1294 Is Safe and Leads to Significant Protection against Abortion and Vertical Transmission in Sheep Experimentally Infected with Toxoplasma gondii during Pregnancy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.02527-18. [PMID: 31061151 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02527-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on drug efficacy showed low protection against abortion and vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant sheep. Bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs), which are ATP-competitive inhibitors of calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1), were shown to be highly efficacious against several apicomplexan parasites in vitro and in laboratory animal models. Here, we present the safety and efficacy of BKI-1294 treatment (dosed orally at 100 mg/kg of body weight 5 times every 48 h) initiated 48 h after oral infection of sheep at midpregnancy with 1,000 TgShSp1 oocysts. BKI-1294 demonstrated systemic exposure in pregnant ewes, with maximum plasma concentrations of 2 to 3 μM and trough concentrations of 0.4 μM at 48 h after each dose. Oral administration of BKI-1294 in uninfected sheep at midpregnancy was deemed safe, since there were no changes in behavior, fecal consistency, rectal temperatures, hematological and biochemical parameters, or fetal mortality/morbidity. In ewes infected with a T. gondii oocyst dose lethal for fetuses, BKI-1294 treatment led to a minor rectal temperature increase after infection and a decrease in fetal/lamb mortality of 71%. None of the lambs born alive in the treated group exhibited congenital encephalitis lesions, and vertical transmission was prevented in 53% of them. BKI-1294 treatment during infection led to strong interferon gamma production after cell stimulation in vitro and a low humoral immune response to soluble tachyzoite antigens but high levels of anti-SAG1 antibodies. The results demonstrate a proof of concept for the therapeutic use of BKI-1294 to protect ovine fetuses from T. gondii infection during pregnancy.
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Mesquita E, Oliveira J, Silva G, Torres S, Oliveira A, Silva Júnior V, Mota R, Amorim M. Imunodetecção de Toxoplasma gondii em tecido placentário de cabras naturalmente infectadas. ARQ BRAS MED VET ZOO 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4162-9797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
RESUMO A imuno-histoquímica (IHQ) é considerada uma ferramenta rápida e precisa para a identificação de protozoários, como Toxoplasma gondii, em tecidos fetais e placentários. Neste estudo foi avaliada a imunodetecção de Toxoplasma gondii em tecido placentário de cabras naturalmente infectadas. Foram coletadas e analisadas 80 amostras de placentas de cabras procedentes de único rebanho com sorologia positiva para T. gondii na técnica de ELISA. Na histopatologia, 27/80 amostras apresentaram lesões sugestivas de infecção por protozoários. Após a avaliação histopatológica, procedeu-se à realização da técnica de imuno-histoquímica, obtendo-se 85,2% (23/27) de amostras com marcação positiva. A imunodetecção ocorreu no epitélio de revestimento das vilosidades coriônicas e foi classificada de acordo com o grau de intensidade da imunomarcação. Também foi evidenciada imunomarcação no interior dos vasos sanguíneos fetais em 8,69% (2/23) das amostras. Este estudo demonstrou que a técnica de IHQ se comportou como uma ferramenta valiosa no diagnóstico da infeção por T. gondii em tecido placentário de cabras naturalmente infectadas e complementou, de forma decisiva, o diagnóstico, além de agregar maior valor aos resultados obtidos nas análises histopatológica e sorológica.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - R.A. Mota
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil
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Sánchez-Sánchez R, Ferre I, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Ferrer LM, Arteche-Villasol N, Moreno-Gonzalo J, Müller J, Aguado-Martínez A, Pérez V, Hemphill A, Ortega-Mora LM, Benavides J. Virulence in Mice of a Toxoplasma gondii Type II Isolate Does Not Correlate With the Outcome of Experimental Infection in Pregnant Sheep. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 8:436. [PMID: 30662874 PMCID: PMC6328472 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals. Little is known about how the parasite virulence in mice extrapolates to other relevant hosts. In the current study, in vitro phenotype and in vivo behavior in mice and sheep of a type II T. gondii isolate (TgShSp1) were compared with the reference type II T. gondii isolate (TgME49). The results of in vitro assays and the intraperitoneal inoculation of tachyzoites in mice indicated an enhanced virulence for the laboratory isolate, TgME49, compared to the recently obtained TgShSp1 isolate. TgShSp1 proliferated at a slower rate and had delayed lysis plaque formation compared to TgME49, but it formed more cyst-like structures in vitro. No mortality was observed in adult mice after infection with 1–105 tachyzoites intraperitoneally or with 25–2,000 oocysts orally of TgShSp1. In sheep orally challenged with oocysts, TgME49 infection resulted in sporadically higher rectal temperatures and higher parasite load in cotyledons from ewes that gave birth and brain tissues of the respective lambs, but no differences between these two isolates were found on fetal/lamb mortality or lesions and number of T. gondii-positive lambs. The congenital infection after challenge at mid-pregnancy with TgShSp1, measured as offspring mortality and vertical transmission, was different depending on the challenged host. In mice, mortality in 50% of the pups was observed when a dam was challenged with a high oocyst dose (500 TgShSp1 oocysts), whereas in sheep infected with the same dose of oocysts, mortality occurred in all fetuses. Likewise, mortality of 9 and 27% of the pups was observed in mice after infection with 100 and 25 TgShSp1 oocysts, respectively, while in sheep, infection with 50 and 10 TgShSp1 oocysts triggered mortality in 68 and 66% of the fetuses/lambs. Differences in vertical transmission in the surviving offspring were only found with the lower oocyst doses (100% after infection with 10 TgShSp1 oocysts in sheep and only 37% in mice after infection with 25 TgShSp1 oocysts). In conclusion, virulence in mice of T. gondii type II isolates may not be a good indicator to predict the outcome of infection in pregnant sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luis Miguel Ferrer
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Javier Moreno-Gonzalo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joachim Müller
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Valentín Pérez
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), León, Spain
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Kim PC, Melo RP, Almeida JC, Silva JG, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Porto WJ, Pinheiro Junior JW, Mota RA. Serological response to Neospora caninum infection in goats and agreement between three diagnostic techniques to detect caprine neosporosis. PESQUISA VETERINARIA BRASILEIRA 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-5150-pvb-5989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to measure the serological response of goats infected with Neospora caninum by assessing the diagnostic performance and agreement between three techniques (indirect immunofluorescent antibody test, IFAT; Neospora agglutitation test, NAT; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA). The panel of sera were comprised of 500 samples of goats, and 60 reference serum samples. These reference and field serum samples were tested by ELISA, NAT, and IFAT. In the field serum samples tested, the seroprevalences of anti-N. caninum antibodies were 3.2%, 4.6%, and 6.4% in the NAT, IFAT and ELISA, respectively. Using the IFAT as the gold standard, the NAT and the ELISA agreement was considered weak (k=0.28) and strong (k=0.75), respectively. When the IFAT performance was used for comparison purposes, the ELISA showed 91.3% sensitivity and 97.7%, specificity with a PPV of 65.2% and a NPV of 99.6%; The NAT presented sensitivity of 26.1% and specificity of 97.9% with a PPV of 37.5% and a NPV of 96.5%. Accordingly, the IFAT should remain the assay of choice for studies about N. caninum infection in goats in individual serum samples. A combination of serological assays with high sensitivity and specificity is recommended in serosurveys of caprine neosporosis.
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Endogenous transplacental transmission of Neospora caninum during successive pregnancies across three generations of naturally infected sheep. Vet Res 2018; 49:106. [PMID: 30333061 PMCID: PMC6389217 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous transplacental transmission, which occurs during pregnancy as the result of reactivation of a latent infection in the dam, is the main mechanism of propagation of Neospora caninum within cattle herds. However, the importance of this propagation mechanism has not yet been evaluated in relation to ovine neosporosis. In this study, involving three generations of ewes naturally infected by N. caninum, we demonstrated that endogenous transplacental transmission may also be highly efficient in the ovine host since transmission of infection occurred in 96.6% of gestations and the congenital infection rate ranged between 66.7 and 93%. Nevertheless, parasite burdens decreased gradually in consecutive generations. Reactivation of latent infections had a strong impact on the pregnancy outcome, with high mortality rates recorded in the offspring of the two first generations of ewes (21.4-46.1%). Histological examination of the brain revealed that all aborted foetuses had characteristic lesions of neosporosis (necrotic glial foci) and a few parasite cysts, whereas most stillborn and newborn lambs that died shortly after birth had non-specific lesions (mild glial foci without necrosis) and parasite cysts were more frequent. Microsatellite analysis revealed scarce genetic variability in the N. caninum population, in accordance with a scenario in which infections were of a single origin and were exclusively maintained by clonal propagation through endogenous transplacental transmission.
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Sánchez-Sánchez R, Ferre I, Re M, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Blanco-Murcia J, Ferrer LM, Navarro T, Pizarro Díaz M, González-Huecas M, Tabanera E, Benavides J, Ortega-Mora LM. Influence of dose and route of administration on the outcome of infection with the virulent Neospora caninum isolate Nc-Spain7 in pregnant sheep at mid-gestation. Vet Res 2018; 49:42. [PMID: 29739449 PMCID: PMC5941812 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-018-0539-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental infections in pregnant sheep have been focused on studying the effect of the time of challenge on the outcome of N. caninum infection, whereas the impact of the dose and route of challenge has not been studied in depth. Therefore, clinical outcome, immune responses, parasite detection and burden, and lesion severity in placental tissues and foetal brains were investigated in 90-day-pregnant sheep inoculated intravenously with 105 (G1), 104 (G2), 103 (G3), or 102 (G4) tachyzoites or subcutaneously with 104 (G5) tachyzoites of the virulent Nc-Spain7 isolate and an uninfected group (G6). Comparing challenge doses, G1 was the only group that had 100% abortion. Likewise, IFNγ levels in G1 increased earlier than those in other intravenously infected groups, and IgG levels on day 21 post-infection (pi) were higher in G1 than those in other intravenously infected groups. Concerning vertical transmission, G1 shows a higher parasite burden in the foetal brain than did G2 and G3. Comparing routes of administration, no differences in foetal survival rate or parasite load in the foetal brain were found. Although G2 had higher IFNγ levels than G5 on day 10 pi, no differences were found in humoral immune responses. Because the outcome after intravenous infection with 105 tachyzoites was similar to that observed after intravenous infection with 106 tachyzoites used in a previous work (100% abortion and vertical transmission), we conclude that it may be reasonable to use 105 tachyzoites administered by the intravenous route in further experiments when assessing drugs or vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michela Re
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Blanco-Murcia
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ferrer
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, C/Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Teresa Navarro
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, C/Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Manuel Pizarro Díaz
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta González-Huecas
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Tabanera
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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de Oliveira JMB, de Almeida JC, de Melo RPB, de Barros LD, Garcia JL, Andrade MR, Porto WJN, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Ortega-Mora LM, Oliveira AADF, Mota RA. First description of clonal lineage type II (genotype #1) of Toxoplasma gondii in abortion outbreak in goats. Exp Parasitol 2018. [PMID: 29526575 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to perform genotypic characterization and to evaluate the virulence of Toxoplasma gondii obtained from aborted fetuses in an abortion outbreak in goats from northeastern Brazil. Brain samples from 32 fetuses were submitted to mouse bioassay for T. gondii isolation. Two isolates were obtained and subjected to genotypic characterization. Isolate virulence was evaluated using murine model in different doses (from 105 to 101 tachyzoites/mL). In genotyping, both isolates were classified as clonal lineage type II (genotype #1 ToxoDB) and showed to be virulent for mice. This is the first description of genotype #1 in cases of goat abortion, showing the circulation of virulent T. gondii isolate producing reproductive disorders in pregnant goat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júnior Mário Baltazar de Oliveira
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Jonatas Campos de Almeida
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Renata Pimentel Bandeira de Melo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Luiz Daniel de Barros
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - João Luis Garcia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Animal Protozoology, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, 86057-970, Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Müller Ribeiro Andrade
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andréa Alice da Fonseca Oliveira
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Infectious-Contagious Diseases of Domestic Animals, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil
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Sánchez-Sánchez R, Ferre I, Re M, Vázquez P, Ferrer LM, Blanco-Murcia J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Pizarro Díaz M, González-Huecas M, Tabanera E, García-Lunar P, Benavides J, Castaño P, Hemphill A, Hulverson MA, Whitman GR, Rivas KL, Choi R, Ojo KK, Barrett LK, Van Voorhis WC, Ortega-Mora LM. Safety and efficacy of the bumped kinase inhibitor BKI-1553 in pregnant sheep experimentally infected with Neospora caninum tachyzoites. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 8:112-124. [PMID: 29501973 PMCID: PMC6114101 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is one of the main causes of abortion in cattle, and recent studies have highlighted its relevance as an abortifacient in small ruminants. Vaccines or drugs for the control of neosporosis are lacking. Bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs), which are ATP-competitive inhibitors of calcium dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1), were shown to be highly efficacious against several apicomplexan parasites in vitro and in laboratory animal models. We here present the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of BKI-1553 in pregnant ewes and foetuses using a pregnant sheep model of N. caninum infection. BKI-1553 showed exposure in pregnant ewes with trough concentrations of approximately 4 μM, and of 1 μM in foetuses. Subcutaneous BKI-1553 administration increased rectal temperatures shortly after treatment, and resulted in dermal nodules triggering a slight monocytosis after repeated doses at short intervals. BKI-1553 treatment decreased fever in infected pregnant ewes already after two applications, resulted in a 37–50% reduction in foetal mortality, and modulated immune responses; IFNγ levels were increased early after infection and IgG levels were reduced subsequently. N. caninum was abundantly found in placental tissues; however, parasite detection in foetal brain tissue decreased from 94% in the infected/untreated group to 69–71% in the treated groups. In summary, BKI-1553 confers partial protection against abortion in a ruminant experimental model of N. caninum infection during pregnancy. In addition, reduced parasite detection, parasite load and lesions in foetal brains were observed. BKI-1553 showed excellent exposure in pregnant ewes and foetuses. BKI-1553 confers partial protection against abortion in N. caninum infected ewes. Treatment reduces parasite detection, parasite load and lesions in foetal brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michela Re
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Vázquez
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Ferrer
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria C/ Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Blanco-Murcia
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Pizarro Díaz
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta González-Huecas
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Tabanera
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula García-Lunar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain
| | - Pablo Castaño
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland
| | - Matthew A Hulverson
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Grant R Whitman
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kasey L Rivas
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan Choi
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kayode K Ojo
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lynn K Barrett
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wesley C Van Voorhis
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Ramos AE, Muñoz M, Cortés-Vecino JA, Barato P, Patarroyo MA. A novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification-based test for detecting Neospora caninum DNA. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:590. [PMID: 29187255 PMCID: PMC5707868 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2549-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neospora caninum is a cyst-forming, coccidian parasite which is known to cause neurological disorders in dogs and abortion and neonatal mortality in cows and other livestock. This study reports the development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on the Neospora caninum Nc-5 gene and compares its efficacy for detecting DNA to that of a semi-nested PCR test. RESULTS Six primers were designed based on the Nc-5 repeat region of N. caninum. Specific LAMP primers led to successful amplification of N. caninum DNA at 63 °C in 30 min. The LAMP assay was highly specific (i.e. it did not reveal cross-reactivity with other parasite species) and had a low N. caninum plasmid DNA limit of detection (1 fg), which is ten times higher than that for the semi-nested PCR. LAMP applicability was evaluated using a set of naturally-infected samples (59 from canine faeces and five from bovine abortions). Thirty-nine percent (25/64) of the naturally-infected samples were positive for N. caninum DNA by LAMP and 36% (23/64) by semi-nested PCR. However, the LAMP assay is much faster to perform than semi-nested PCR and provides results in 30 min. CONCLUSION The optimized reaction conditions described in this study resulted in a sensitive, specific and rapid technique for detecting N. caninum DNA. Considering the advantages of LAMP for detecting N. caninum DNA, further assays aimed at testing its usefulness on a wider range of field samples are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Estefanía Ramos
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Paola Barato
- Corporación Patología Veterinaria (Corpavet), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. .,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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An Ibero-American inter-laboratory trial to evaluate serological tests for the detection of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle. Trop Anim Health Prod 2017; 50:75-84. [PMID: 28918478 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-017-1401-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We carried out an inter-laboratory trial to compare the serological tests commonly used for the detection of specific Neospora caninum antibodies in cattle in Ibero-American countries. A total of eight laboratories participated from the following countries: Argentina (n = 4), Brazil (n = 1), Peru (n = 1), Mexico (n = 1), and Spain (n = 1). A blind panel of well-characterized cattle sera (n = 143) and sera representative of the target population (n = 351) was tested by seven in-house indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs 1-7) and three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs 1-3; two in-house and one commercial). Diagnostic performance of the serological tests was calculated and compared according to the following criteria: (1) the "Pre-test information," which uses previous epidemiological and serological data; (2) the "Majority of tests," which classifies a serum as positive or negative according to the results obtained by most tests evaluated. Unexpectedly, six tests showed either sensitivity (Se) or specificity (Sp) values lower than 90%. In contrast, the best tests in terms of Se, Sp, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were IFAT 1 and optimized ELISA 1 and ELISA 2. We evaluated a high number of IFATs, which are the most widely used tests in Ibero-America. The significant discordances observed among the tests regardless of the criteria employed hinder control programs and urge the use of a common test or with similar performances to either the optimized IFAT 1 and ELISAs 1 and 2.
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Porto WJN, Horcajo P, Kim PDCP, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Romão EA, Álvarez-García G, Mesquita EPD, Mota RA, Ortega-Mora LM. Peripheral and placental immune responses in goats after primoinfection with Neospora caninum at early, mid and late gestation. Vet Parasitol 2017; 242:38-43. [PMID: 28606322 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neospora caninum can cause reproductive failure in goats. However, the pathogenesis of neosporosis in this domestic species remains largely unknown. We recently demonstrated that the outcome of experimental infection by N. caninum in pregnant goats is highly dependent on the time of gestation, during which infection occurs. In the present study, we examined the peripheral and placental immune responses in these groups of goats infected with 106 tachyzoites of the Nc-Spain7 isolate at early (G1, at day 40 of gestation, dg), mid (G2, 90 dg) and late (G3, 120 dg) gestation, together with a group of non-infected goats as a control group (G4). Seroconversion was observed as early as day 10 post-infection (pi) in all goats from G1 that aborted earlier (10-11 pi). The remaining infected goats had seroconverted by day 14 pi. Similar IFN-γ kinetic profiles were found in sera from goats in G1 and G2 with a significant increase in the IFN-γ levels on days 7 and 10 pi. This increase was not observed in G3. A similar pattern of placental cytokine expression was found in all infected groups. IFN-γ and IL-4 showed the highest increase, followed by a weaker up-regulation in TNF-α and IL-10. The lowest up-regulation was observed for IL-12 expression. In summary, this study provides information regarding the dynamics of immune responses and their relationship with the outcome of N. caninum infection in goats during gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Elton Amorim Romão
- Campus Arapiraca-Unidade Educacional Viçosa, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Viçosa, AL, Brazil.
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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35
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Prince Nelson SL, Ramakrishnan V, Nietert PJ, Kamen DL, Ramos PS, Wolf BJ. An evaluation of common methods for dichotomization of continuous variables to discriminate disease status. COMMUN STAT-THEOR M 2017; 46:10823-10834. [PMID: 29962658 DOI: 10.1080/03610926.2016.1248783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Dichotomization of continuous variables to discriminate a dichotomous outcome is often useful in statistical applications. If a true threshold for a continuous variable exists, the challenge is identifying it. This paper examines common methods for dichotomization to identify which ones recover a true threshold. We provide mathematical and numeric proofs demonstrating that maximizing the odds ratio, Youden's statistic, Gini Index, chi-square statistic, relative risk and kappa statistic all theoretically recover a true threshold. A simulation study evaluating the ability of these statistics to recover a threshold when sampling from a population indicates that maximizing the chi-square statistic and Gini Index have the smallest bias and variability when the probability of being larger than the threshold is small while maximizing Kappa or Youden's statistics is best when this probability is larger. Maximizing odds ratio is the most variable and biased of the methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybil L Prince Nelson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical Univeristy of South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, U.S.A.
| | | | - Paul J Nietert
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical Univeristy of South Carolina
| | - Diane L Kamen
- Department of Medicine, Medical Univeristy of South Carolina
| | - Paula S Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Medical Univeristy of South Carolina
| | - Bethany J Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical Univeristy of South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina 29425, U.S.A.
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36
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Incidence and vertical transmission rate of Neospora caninum in sheep. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 52:19-22. [PMID: 28673457 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The infection by Neospora caninum in sheep can lead to abortion and the birth of weak and debilitated lambs. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of natural infection by Neospora caninum and the vertical transmission rate among sheep. A flock of 50 sheep was monitored for serum antibody titres against N. caninum and seroconversion over a period of six months using an indirect ELISA technique. The offspring of the herd was also investigated regarding anti-N. caninum antibodies to determine the vertical transmission rate through the indirect immunofluorescence technique. The initial and final prevalences of infection by N. caninum were 26.0% (13/50) and 72.0% (36/50), respectively, and the incidence of infection by N. caninum in the present study was 62.2% (23/37). The vertical transmission rate found was 15.4% (2/13). A high incidence of infection by N. caninum in sheep was observed, and this is the first report assessing the incidence of N. caninum among naturally infected sheep.
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37
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Castaño P, Fuertes M, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Ferre I, Fernández M, Ferreras MC, Moreno-Gonzalo J, González-Lanza C, Pereira-Bueno J, Katzer F, Ortega-Mora LM, Pérez V, Benavides J. Experimental ovine toxoplasmosis: influence of the gestational stage on the clinical course, lesion development and parasite distribution. Vet Res 2016; 47:43. [PMID: 26983883 PMCID: PMC4793618 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The relation between gestational age and foetal death risk in ovine toxoplasmosis is already known, but the mechanisms involved are not yet clear. In order to study how the stage of gestation influences these mechanisms, pregnant sheep of the same age and genetic background were orally dosed with 50 oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii (M4 isolate) at days 40 (G1), 90 (G2) and 120 (G3) of gestation. In each group, four animals were culled on the second, third and fourth week post infection (pi) in order to evaluate parasite load and distribution, and lesions in target organs. Ewes from G1 showed a longer period of hyperthermia than the other groups. Abortions occurred in all groups. While in G2 they were more frequent during the acute phase of the disease, in G3 they mainly occurred after day 20 pi. After challenge, parasite and lesions in the placentas and foetuses were detected from day 19 pi in G3 while in G2 or G1 they were only detected at day 26 pi. However, after initial detection at day 19 pi, parasite burden, measured through RT-PCR, in placenta or foetus of G3 did not increase significantly and, at in the third week pi it was lower than that measured in foetal liver or placenta from G1 to G3 respectively. These results show that the period of gestation clearly influences the parasite multiplication and development of lesions in the placenta and foetus and, as a consequence, the clinical course in ovine toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Castaño
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Miguel Fuertes
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - M Carmen Ferreras
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Javier Moreno-Gonzalo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Camino González-Lanza
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Juana Pereira-Bueno
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Frank Katzer
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain
| | - Julio Benavides
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, 24346, León, Spain.
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38
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Porto WJN, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Kim PDCP, Benavides J, Silva ACDS, Horcajo P, Oliveira AADF, Ferre I, Mota RA, Ortega-Mora LM. Experimental caprine neosporosis: the influence of gestational stage on the outcome of infection. Vet Res 2016; 47:29. [PMID: 26864744 PMCID: PMC4750177 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-016-0312-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we assessed outcome of experimental infection by Neospora caninum in goats intravenously inoculated with 10(6) tachyzoites of the Nc-Spain7 isolate at 40 (G1), 90 (G2) and 120 (G3) days of gestation. Infected goats had fever between 5 and 9 days post inoculation (dpi); all were seropositive at the time of abortion/birth. Foetal death occurred in G1 from 10 to 21 dpi (n = 7) and in G2 from 27 to 35 dpi (n = 4). Goats in G2 also had seropositive stillbirth (n = 1) and healthy kids (n = 2). G3 goats (n = 7) had 3 seropositive and 3 seronegative weak kids, and 2 seronegative healthy kids. Parasite DNA detection in placentomes was 100% in G2, 85.7% in G3 and in G1 was detected only in placentomes from the goats with foetal losses from 17 dpi (100%). Parasites were detected in foetal/kid brain (>85.7%) and liver (≥ 50%) of G2 and G3, and in G1 after 17 dpi (100%). The highest parasite loads were detected in the placentomes of G1 from 17 dpi and G2, and in foetal tissues of G1 from 17 dpi and G3. Multifocal necrotic lesions were observed in the placentas of the three groups, but they were larger and more frequent in G1 and G2. Similar lesions were observed in foetal tissues, but they were more frequent in G3. These findings suggest that, as observed in cattle and sheep, the clinical consequences of N. caninum in pregnant goats are dependent in part on the time of gestation when animals were infected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Julio Benavides
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | | | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Arranz-Solís D, Benavides J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Horcajo P, Castaño P, del Carmen Ferreras M, Jiménez-Pelayo L, Collantes-Fernández E, Ferre I, Hemphill A, Pérez V, Ortega-Mora LM. Systemic and local immune responses in sheep after Neospora caninum experimental infection at early, mid and late gestation. Vet Res 2016; 47:2. [PMID: 26739099 PMCID: PMC4702303 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-015-0290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides its importance in cattle, Neospora caninum may also pose a high risk as abortifacient for small ruminants. We have recently demonstrated that the outcome of experimental infection of pregnant sheep with 10(6) Nc-Spain7 tachyzoites is strongly dependent on the time of gestation. In the current study, we assessed peripheral and local immune response in those animals. Serological analysis revealed earlier and higher IFN-γ and IgG responses in ewes infected at early (G1) and mid (G2) gestation, when abortion occurred. IL-4 was not detected in sera from any sheep. Inflammatory infiltrates in the placenta mainly consisted of CD8+ and, to a lesser extent, CD4+ T cells and macrophages (CD163+). The infiltrate was more intense in sheep infected at mid-gestation. In the foetal mesenchyme, mostly free tachyzoites were found in animals infected at G1, while those infected in G2 displayed predominantly particulate antigen, and parasitophorous vacuoles were detected in sheep infected at G3. A similar pattern of placental cytokine mRNA expression was found in all groups, displaying a strengthened upregulation of IFN-γ and IL-4 and milder increases of TNF-α and IL-10, reminiscent of a mixed Th1 and Th2 response. IL-12 and IL-6 were only slightly upregulated in G2, and TGF-β was downregulated in G1 and G2, suggestive of limited T regulatory (Treg) cell activity. No significant expression of TLR2 or TLR4 could be detected. In summary, this study confirms the pivotal role of systemic and local immune responses at different times of gestation during N. caninum infection in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Arranz-Solís
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julio Benavides
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Pablo Castaño
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | | | - Laura Jiménez-Pelayo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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40
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Guido S, Katzer F, Nanjiani I, Milne E, Innes EA. Serology-Based Diagnostics for the Control of Bovine Neosporosis. Trends Parasitol 2015; 32:131-143. [PMID: 26711188 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan Neospora caninum is a primary infectious cause of abortion in cattle that causes significant economic losses worldwide. Because effective vaccines and licensed pharmacological treatments are currently unavailable, control measures rely on biosecurity and management practice. Serological diagnosis plays a crucial role in the identification of infected animals and several tests have been developed. However, owing to the particular dynamics of the host-parasite interaction and to the characteristics of the currently used diagnostic tools, a proportion of infected cattle may not be reliably identified, and can potentially undermine efforts towards the control of bovine neosporosis. Current diagnostic methods for N. caninum infection in cattle and the advances necessary to support effective control strategies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Guido
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK; The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Frank Katzer
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Ian Nanjiani
- Westpoint Veterinary Group, Dawes Farm, Bognor Road, Warnham, West Sussex, RH12 3SH, UK
| | - Elspeth Milne
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Elisabeth A Innes
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
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41
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García-Lunar P, Moré G, Campero L, Ortega-Mora LM, Álvarez-García G. Anti-Neospora caninum and anti-Sarcocystis spp. specific antibodies cross-react with Besnoitia besnoiti and influence the serological diagnosis of bovine besnoitiosis. Vet Parasitol 2015; 214:49-54. [PMID: 26386830 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bovine besnoitiosis control remains a challenge because the disease continues to spread and control relies solely on accurate diagnosis coupled to management measures. However, recent studies have reported that routinely used ELISAs may raise a high number of false-positive results. Herein, cross-reactions between Besnoitia besnoiti antigens and anti-Neospora caninum and/or anti-Sarcocystis spp.-specific antibodies were studied in an in house ELISA since N. caninum and Sarcocystis spp. are closely related parasites, and both infections are highly prevalent in cattle worldwide. The serum panel was composed of the following categories: sera from B. besnoiti-seronegative (n=75) and -seropositive cattle (n=66), B. besnoiti-based-ELISA false-positive reactors (n=96) together with N. caninum (n=36) and Sarcocystis spp. (n=42) -seropositive reference cattle sera. B. besnoiti tachyzoite based western blot (WB) results classified animals as seropositive or seronegative. Sera were analyzed for the detection of anti-N. caninum by WB and ELISA and anti-Sarcocystis spp.-specific antibodies by WB and IFAT. Those samples recognizing a Sarcocystis spp. 18-20 kDa antigenic region and N. caninum 17-18 kDa immunodominant antigen were considered to be Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum seropositive, respectively. The category of B. besnoiti based-ELISA false-positive reactors showed the highest number of sera with specific anti-Sarcocystis spp. and anti-N. caninum antibodies (74%; 71/96), followed by the N. caninum-seropositive cattle category (52.8%; 19/36). In contrast, few B. besnoiti-seronegative and -seropositive cattle showed antibodies against Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum (10.7%; 8/75 and 1.5%; 1/66), respectively). This study revealed that B. besnoiti false-positive ELISA results were associated not only with the presence of anti-N. caninum and anti-Sarcocystis spp. antibodies (χ(2): 78.36; p<0.0001; OR: 34.6; CI: 14-88) but also with high antibody levels against them using ELISA and IFAT tests, respectively (p<0.05; t-test). These results may explain why only some animals seropositive to Sarcocystis spp. and/or N. caninum are Besnoitia false-positive reactors. Therefore, sera meeting these requirements should be included in future validations of serological tests for bovine besnoitiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P García-Lunar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040-Madrid, Spain
| | - G Moré
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 60 y 118, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - L Campero
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 60 y 118, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - L M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040-Madrid, Spain
| | - G Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040-Madrid, Spain.
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42
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Regidor-Cerrillo J, García-Lunar P, Pastor-Fernández I, Álvarez-García G, Collantes-Fernández E, Gómez-Bautista M, Ortega-Mora LM. Neospora caninum tachyzoite immunome study reveals differences among three biologically different isolates. Vet Parasitol 2015; 212:92-9. [PMID: 26324244 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenesis of bovine neosporosis is determined by different host- and parasite-dependent factors, including isolate virulence. A previous study identified that several Neospora caninum tachyzoite proteins were more abundant in virulent isolates, Nc-Liv and Nc-Spain7, compared with the low-virulent isolate Nc-Spain1H. Herein, we explored differences in the immunomes of these three isolates. Protein extracts from the Nc-Liv, Nc-Spain1H and Nc-Spain7 isolates were analysed in a 3×3 design by 2-DE immunoblot using sera from experimentally infected mice with these same three isolates. All isolates displayed a highly similar antigenic pattern when they were assessed using the same serum. Most of the reactive spots were located in the acidic region (pH 3-7) and grouped in 3 antigenic areas (250-70, 45-37 and 35-15 KDa). Differences found in the immunome depended on the sera used, regardless of the extract employed. In this sense, sera from Nc-Liv and Nc-Spain7 infected mice recognized the highest number of antigens, followed by Nc-Spain1H infected mice sera. In fact, 4 proteins identified by MS were not consistently detected in each isolate extract by sera from low-virulent Nc-Spain1H-infected mice: serine-threonine phosphatase 2C and superoxide dismutase (related to metabolism), gliding associated protein GAP45 (related to tachyzoites invasion), and NcGRA1 (located on dense granules). Similarly, 4 non-identified spots and another 2 spots chains located in 45-37 kDa area were not detected by this pooled sera. Variations between virulent Nc-Spain7 and Nc-Liv were limited to the absence of recognition by sera from Nc-Spain7-infected mice of GAP45 and the spot chains located in the 45-37 kDa area. These results suggest that variations in the immunome profiles rely on the immune response induced by each isolate and that these differentially recognized antigens could be investigated as putative virulence markers of neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Paula García-Lunar
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Álvarez-García
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Gómez-Bautista
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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43
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Roelandt S, Van der Stede Y, Czaplicki G, Van Loo H, Van Driessche E, Dewulf J, Hooyberghs J, Faes C. Serological diagnosis of bovine neosporosis: a Bayesian evaluation of two antibody ELISA tests for in vivo diagnosis in purchased and abortion cattle. Vet Rec 2015; 176:598. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.102872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Roelandt
- Unit Coordination of Veterinary Diagnosis & Epidemiology and Risk analysis (CDD-ERA); Operational Directorate of Surveillance and Interactions, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA); Groeselenberg, 99 Brussels B-1180 Belgium
| | - Y. Van der Stede
- Unit Coordination of Veterinary Diagnosis & Epidemiology and Risk analysis (CDD-ERA); Operational Directorate of Surveillance and Interactions, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA); Groeselenberg, 99 Brussels B-1180 Belgium
- Laboratory of Veterinary Immunology; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Ghent University; Merelbeke Belgium
| | - G. Czaplicki
- Unit of Porcine Production; Association Régionale de Santé & d’ Identification Animales (ARSIA); Loncin Belgium
| | - H. Van Loo
- Unit Health Care (Bovine); Dierengezondheidszorg Vlaanderen (DGZ); Torhout Belgium
| | - E. Van Driessche
- Unit Health Care (Bovine); Dierengezondheidszorg Vlaanderen (DGZ); Torhout Belgium
| | - J. Dewulf
- Veterinary Epidemiology Unit, Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Ghent University; Merelbeke Belgium
| | - J. Hooyberghs
- Directorate Control and Policy, Federal Agency for Safety of the Food Chain; Brussels Belgium
| | - C. Faes
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Hasselt University; Diepenbeek Belgium
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44
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Arranz-Solís D, Benavides J, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Fuertes M, Ferre I, Ferreras MDC, Collantes-Fernández E, Hemphill A, Pérez V, Ortega-Mora LM. Influence of the gestational stage on the clinical course, lesional development and parasite distribution in experimental ovine neosporosis. Vet Res 2015; 46:19. [PMID: 25884945 PMCID: PMC4346111 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-014-0139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is considered one of the main causes of abortion in cattle, yet recent studies have also emphasised its relevance as an abortifacient in small ruminants. In order to gain deeper insight into the pathogenesis of ovine neosporosis, pregnant ewes were intravenously inoculated with 106 tachyzoites of the Nc-Spain7 isolate at days 40, 90 or 120 of gestation. Infection during the first term resulted in the death of all foetuses between days 19 and 21 post-infection, showing mainly necrotic lesions in foetal liver and the highest parasite DNA detection and burden in both placenta and foetal viscera. After infection at day 90, foetal death was also detected in all ewes, although later (34–48 days post-infection). In this group, lesions were mainly inflammatory. Foetal livers showed the lowest frequency of lesions, as well as the lowest parasite detection and burden. All ewes infected at day 120 delivered viable lambs, although 3 out of 9 showed weakness and recumbency. Neospora DNA was detected in all lambs but one, and parasite burden was similar to that observed in day 90 group. Lesions in this group showed more conspicuous infiltration of inflammatory cells and higher frequency in foetal brain and muscle when compared to both previous groups. These results highlight the crucial role that the stage of gestation plays on the course of ovine neosporosis, similar to that reported in bovine neosporosis, and open the doors to consider sheep as a valid model for exogenous transplacental transmission for ruminant neosporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Arranz-Solís
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julio Benavides
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Miguel Fuertes
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Ferre
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Valentín Pérez
- Livestock Health and Production Institute (ULE-CSIC), 24346, León, Spain.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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45
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González-Warleta M, Castro-Hermida JA, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Benavides J, Álvarez-García G, Fuertes M, Ortega-Mora LM, Mezo M. Neospora caninum infection as a cause of reproductive failure in a sheep flock. Vet Res 2014; 45:88. [PMID: 25158756 PMCID: PMC4153895 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-014-0088-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum has been detected only sporadically in cases of ovine abortion, and it has therefore traditionally been considered as an unimportant parasite in small ruminants. This study was carried out with the aim of identifying the pathogen causing serious reproductive problems on a commercial sheep farm. Sera from all rams and ewes tested negative for antibodies against Border disease virus, Schmallenberg virus and Coxiella burnetii, and infections by these agents were therefore ruled out. Nevertheless, seropositivity to N. caninum and/or Toxoplasma gondii was detected, although the seroprevalence was higher in the case of N. caninum. The percentage of lambings and the number of lambs per dam were significantly lower in ewes that were seropositive to N. caninum while no effect on these parameters was detected in ewes that were seropositive to T. gondii. There was also no evidence of infection by T. gondii in the foetal/lamb tissues analyzed by PCR and/or immunohistopathological techniques. On the contrary, the DNA of N. caninum was detected in 13 out of 14 foetuses/lambs descendant from dams seropositive to this parasite. Characteristic lesions caused by N. caninum and/or its antigen were also detected. Genotyping of the N. caninum DNA revealed only two closely related microsatellite multilocus genotypes. The results clearly demonstrate that infection by N. caninum was the cause of the low reproductive performance of this sheep flock.
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46
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Dellarupe A, Regidor-Cerrillo J, Jiménez-Ruiz E, Schares G, Unzaga JM, Venturini MC, Ortega-Mora LM. Comparison of host cell invasion and proliferation among Neospora caninum isolates obtained from oocysts and from clinical cases of naturally infected dogs. Exp Parasitol 2014; 145:22-8. [PMID: 25045851 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study we have shown that the in vitro invasion rate (IR) and tachyzoite yield (TY) are associated with the virulence phenotypes of Neospora caninum isolates of bovine origin. In addition, we recently observed marked differences in virulence when canine isolates were compared in a pregnant BALB/c mouse model. In this study, we investigated whether invasion and proliferation capacities could be used as virulence-related N. caninum phenotypic traits. Of the isolates compared in mice, four canine isolates obtained from oocysts (Nc-Ger2, Nc-Ger3, Nc-Ger-6, Nc-6 Arg) had shown a low-moderate virulence, and two further isolates obtained from dogs with neurological signs (Nc-Bahia, Nc-Liv) were highly virulent. The IR for each isolate was determined by a plaque assay and the counting of immunofluorescence-labeled parasitophorous vacuoles at 3 days post-inoculation (p.i.). The TY was determined by the quantification of tachyzoites at 56 h p.i. by real-time PCR. Most of the canine isolates showed similar IR values under controlled invasion conditions for 4h and 72 h p.i., indicating a limited time period for invasion similar to that observed for bovine isolates. The Nc-Ger3, Nc-Bahia, and Nc-Liv isolates showed a significantly higher IR and TY than the Nc-Ger2 and Nc-Ger6 isolates (P<0.0001). A correlation was found between the IRs and TY (ρ>0.885, P<0.033), as well as between the TY and both dam morbidity (ρ=0.8452, P<0.033) and pup mortality (ρ>0.8117, P<0.058) in mice. These results demonstrate the importance both the invasive and proliferative capacities have on the virulence of canine N. caninum isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Dellarupe
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 118, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J Regidor-Cerrillo
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - E Jiménez-Ruiz
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - G Schares
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald-Isle of Riems, Germany
| | - J M Unzaga
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 118, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
| | - M C Venturini
- Laboratorio de Inmunoparasitología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 118, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
| | - L M Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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47
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Transmission paths of Neospora caninum in a dairy herd of crossbred cattle in the northeast of Brazil. Vet Parasitol 2014; 202:257-64. [PMID: 24560936 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the transmission paths of Neospora caninum in a dairy herd of crossbred cattle. Two hundred and ninety animals were grouped according to the year of their birth to verify the distribution of infection according to age. The blood of 196 cattle was collected thrice, with an average interval of 210 days, to evaluate the existence of horizontal transmission in the herd. To evaluate vertical transmission, the blood of 64 calves was collected prior to ingestion of colostrum and from their mothers at parturition. Moreover, 63 family trees were built. The presence of anti-N. caninum antibodies was detected using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. The chi-square test (χ(2)) with Yates' correction or Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the relation between the serology and age groups and between the serostatus of cows and their progeny in different calvings. A higher seropositivity (p=0.035) was found in animals born in 2008 compared to those born in 1997-2007. The serological status of only 13 animals presented changes, of which six (3.1%) became seropositive, indicating a low proportion of horizontal transmission. All seropositive cows gave birth to seropositive calves, resulting in 100% vertical transmission. Sixty-three family trees were constructed. In 29 (46%) of these families, there were animals seropositive for N. caninum. Congenital infection in relation to the number of births was estimated from the relation of Mother+ and Daughter+, without significant differences (p=0.84) between the number of births and the transmission of the parasite from infected cows to their progeny. The low proportion of horizontal transmission combined with the high proportion of vertical transmission allowed us to conclude that transplacental transmission is the principal route of N. caninum infection in the herd.
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48
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Regidor-Cerrillo J, Arranz-Solís D, Benavides J, Gómez-Bautista M, Castro-Hermida JA, Mezo M, Pérez V, Ortega-Mora LM, González-Warleta M. Neospora caninum infection during early pregnancy in cattle: how the isolate influences infection dynamics, clinical outcome and peripheral and local immune responses. Vet Res 2014; 45:10. [PMID: 24479988 PMCID: PMC3922688 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-45-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This work studies the influence of Neospora caninum intra-species diversity on abortion outcome, infection dynamics in terms of parasite dissemination and peripheral-local immune responses in pregnant cattle. Animals were intravenously inoculated at day 70 of pregnancy with 10⁷ tachyzoites of two isolates showing marked differences in virulence in vitro and in pregnant mouse models: Nc-Spain7, a high virulence isolate, and Nc-Spain8, a low-to-moderate virulence isolate. After inoculation, pregnancy was monitored, and dams were culled when foetal death was detected. Foetal mortality occurred in all infected heifers between days 24 and 49 post-infection (pi), however, it was detected sooner in Nc-Spain7-infected animals (median day = 34) than those inoculated with Nc-Spain8 (median day = 41) with a trend towards significance (P < 0.11). Similar histological lesions were observed in placentomes and in most of the foetuses from the two infected groups. However, parasites were more frequently detected in the placenta and foetuses by PCR and in the foetal brain by immunohistochemistry in Nc-Spain7-infected animals. Specific antibodies were detected starting at day 13 post-infection in all infected cattle, with higher IgG levels in Nc-Spain7-infected group. IFN-γ and IL-4 profiles also varied between infected groups in PBMC stimulation assays. Infected animals showed significant increases in their cytokine mRNA levels (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p40 and TNF-α) in the caruncle at time of foetal death. Differences between the infected groups were also observed for cytokine profiles. These results demonstrate the influence of the N. caninum isolate on foetal death outcome, infection dynamics and immune responses in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Regidor-Cerrillo
- Animal Health Department, SALUVET, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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49
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Rojo-Montejo S, Collantes-Fernández E, Pérez-Zaballos F, Rodríguez-Marcos S, Blanco-Murcia J, Rodríguez-Bertos A, Prenafeta A, Ortega-Mora LM. Effect of vaccination of cattle with the low virulence Nc-Spain 1H isolate of Neospora caninum against a heterologous challenge in early and mid-gestation. Vet Res 2013; 44:106. [PMID: 24180373 PMCID: PMC4176088 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Live vaccines have emerged as one of the most potentially cost-effective measures for the control of bovine neosporosis. Previous studies have shown that Nc-Spain 1H is a naturally attenuated isolate of Neospora caninum and that immunisation with live Nc-Spain 1H tachyzoites generated a protective immune response in mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunisation in cattle. N. caninum-seronegative heifers were immunised subcutaneously twice with 107 live Nc-Spain 1H tachyzoites prior to artificial insemination. No adverse reactions or negative effects on reproductive parameters were recorded following immunisation. In immunised and non-challenged heifers, no foetal deaths were observed, and none of the calves was congenitally infected. The efficacy against N. caninum-associated foetal death and vertical transmission was determined after challenge with high doses of the Nc-1 isolate at 70 and 135 days of gestation, respectively. After the challenge in early gestation, the immunisation induced a protection of 50% against foetal death. In addition, the microsatellite analysis performed in PCR-positive tissue samples from foetuses that died after challenge infection showed that the profiles corresponded to the challenge isolate Nc-1. A degree of protection against vertical transmission was observed after challenge at mid-gestation; calves from immunised heifers showed significantly lower pre-colostral Neospora-specific antibody titres than calves from the non-immunised/challenge group (P < 0.05). Strong antibody and interferon gamma responses were induced in the immunised heifers. This study indicates that the immunisation before pregnancy with the Nc-Spain 1H vaccine isolate appeared to be safe and reduced the occurrence of N. caninum-associated abortion and vertical transmission in experimentally infected cattle. In light of these encouraging results, the next step for testing this live attenuated candidate should be the assessment of its efficacy and safety in naturally infected cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda, Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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50
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Syed-Hussain S, Howe L, Pomroy W, West D, Smith S, Williamson N. Detection of Neospora caninum DNA in semen of experimental infected rams with no evidence of horizontal transmission in ewes. Vet Parasitol 2013; 197:534-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2012] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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