Renal lesions in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum

Abstract

We analyzed serum urea and creatinine levels and the renal histology of dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis, and conducted a urinalysis to evaluate their renal damage. Urine, blood, and kidney samples were obtained from 43 dogs. The dogs were divided into 3 groups according to their clinical presentation: asymptomatic (n= 9), oligosymptomatic (n= 17), and symptomatic (n=17). We detected increased creatinine and urea levels in 7/43 and 8/43 of the dogs, respectively. In the urinalysis, nephritis was found in 22/43 seropositive dogs. Histopathologic alterations included tubulointerstitial alterations (39/43) and glomerulonephritis (25/43). Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (11/43) was the most common glomerular alteration, followed bymembranous glomerulonephritis (6/43), proliferative glomerulonephritis (7/43), and glomerular sclerosis (1/43). Our data indicate that alterations in the urinalysis and renal histopathology in dogs with leishmaniasis can appear before increases in serum urea and creatinine levels can be detected, even when clinical symptoms of the disease are absent. A diagnosis of leishmaniasis should be considered in dogs with renal damage, and renal function should be evaluated in dogs with leishmaniasis.