Molecular Typing of Leishmania spp. Causing Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Italy, 2014–2020
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Published:2023-12-24
Issue:1
Volume:13
Page:19
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ISSN:2076-0817
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Container-title:Pathogens
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Pathogens
Author:
Gritti Tommaso1, Carra Elena2ORCID, Van der Auwera Gert3ORCID, Solana José Carlos45, Gaspari Valeria6, Trincone Silvana7, Ortalli Margherita18ORCID, Rabitti Alice2, Reggiani Alessandro2ORCID, Rugna Gianluca2ORCID, Varani Stefania1ORCID, The Skin_Leish_RER Network The Skin_Leish_RER Network
Affiliation:
1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy 2. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna, 25124 Brescia, Italy 3. Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2180 Antwerp, Belgium 4. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28022 Madrid, Spain 5. WHO Collaborating Centre for Leishmaniasis, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28022 Majadahonda, Spain 6. Unit of Dermatology, Head and Neck Department, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy 7. Unit of Dermatology, Ospedale Bufalini, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale della Romagna, 47521 Cesena, Italy 8. Unit of Microbiology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Abstract
Tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is endemic but neglected in southern Europe. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the Leishmania strains causing TL cases in northeastern Italy, where an upsurge of TL cases has been observed in the last decade. Sections from 109 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies of skin and mucosal tissues were collected from TL cases in the selected area. Two DNA targets were amplified and sequenced: the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and the heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70). An in silico analysis was also performed on 149 genomes belonging to the Leishmania donovani complex. A total of 88 out of 109 (80.7%) samples from 83 TL cases were successfully typed by ITS1 and/or hsp70. ITS1 analysis identified L. infantum in 67 cases (91.8%), while L. major (n = 4, 5.5%) and L. tropica (n = 2, 2.7%) were detected in the remaining cases that were categorized as imported. Further, the hsp70 typing of 75 autochthonous cases showed the presence of eight distinct sequence variants belonging to the Leishmania donovani complex, with high genetic variability when compared to known L. infantum populations. In conclusion, our findings show that peculiar L. infantum variants are emerging in the novel focus on TL in northeastern Italy.
Funder
EU funding within the NextGeneration EU-MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Microbiology (medical),General Immunology and Microbiology,Molecular Biology,Immunology and Allergy
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