Application of qPCR in conjunctival swab samples for the evaluation of canine leishmaniasis in borderline cases or disease relapse and correlation with clinical parameters

摘要

BackgroundIn leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum, the dog acts as the main reservoir for the disease. Non-invasive sampling for Leishmania detection is pivotal for rapid and affordable diagnosis. Recently, the use of conjunctival swab (CS) has been evaluated as a non-invasive sampling technique for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). However, few investigations have been made on the applicability of CS qPCR in particular cases such as dogs with borderline IFAT titres, suspected disease relapse with comorbidity and therapy monitoring. The aims of this study were i) to confirm the efficacy of CS, comparing these samples to buffy coat (BC) samples, as effective non-invasive samples for Leishmania quantitative detection by qPCR and ii) to verify the usefulness of qPCR compared to conventional laboratory and clinical parameters to assist in therapeutic decision making regarding dogs with complex clinical cases.