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Pathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis due to Sarcocystis neurona infection in Brazilian horses

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Abstract

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an important neurologic disease of horses in the American continent caused by Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi infection. This study describes the pathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings of fatal cases of EPM in southern Brazil. A review was performed on a total of 13 cases compatible with EPM, which were diagnosed by postmortem examination in the period of 2010–2017. Epidemiological information was obtained from necropsy reports. Gross and histological lesions were characterized, and cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry anti-Sarcocystis neurona, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora spp. Molecular search was performed using ITS-1 gene PCRs. Microscopic lesions were multifocal in all cases, and more frequently observed in the spinal cord segments and in the rhombencephalon. Intralesional protozoans were histologically detected in five horses, while a positive immunostaining for S. neurona was observed in eleven cases (11/13). Through molecular techniques, six positive cases for the ITS-1 gene were detected, and obtained sequences presented highest similarity with S. neurona. EPM due to S. neurona infection represents an important neurologic disease of horses in Brazil and this disease should be considered as a main differential diagnosis in horses presenting neurologic signs.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Luís Fernando Pita and his research group, especially Dr. Gideão da Silva Galvão for providing the cell culture of S. neurona SN138 strain for antibody production. We thank Dr. Itabajara da Silva Vaz Junior, Dr. Matheus Nunes Weber, and Dr. Samuel Paulo Cibulski for their assistance to produce the antibody anti-S. neurona, as well as M.S. Cíntia de Lorenzo for her assistance with the employed molecular techniques. We also thank Vitor Fernandes for his assistance proofreading the manuscript.

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Additional data available in article supplementary material.

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9090, Prédio 42.505, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil

    Luan Cleber Henker, Marcele Bettim Bandinelli, Caroline Pinto de Andrade, Matheus Viezzer Bianchi, Luciana Sonne, David Driemeier & Saulo Petinatti Pavarini

  2. Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsiosis Vetoriais, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9090, Bairro Agronomia, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil

    João Fábio Soares

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  1. Luan Cleber Henker
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  2. Marcele Bettim Bandinelli
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  3. Caroline Pinto de Andrade
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  4. Matheus Viezzer Bianchi
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  5. Luciana Sonne
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  7. João Fábio Soares
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  8. Saulo Petinatti Pavarini
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Contributions

Luan C. Henker was the main responsible for data collection and interpretation, as well as drafting the manuscript. Luan C. Henker and Marcele B. Bandinelli performed immunohistochemical exams. João Fábio Soares and Caroline Pinto de Andrade conducted molecular techniques. Matheus V. Bianchi, Luciana Sonne, David Driemeier, João F. Soares, and Saulo P. Pavarini made substantial contributions to the conception of the manuscript, as well as interpretation of data. All authors critically revised and contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. All authors gave their final approval of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Luan Cleber Henker.

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Research ethics committee approval waived: retrospective case series.

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Henker, L.C., Bandinelli, M.B., de Andrade, C.P. et al. Pathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis due to Sarcocystis neurona infection in Brazilian horses. Trop Anim Health Prod 52, 3809–3817 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02419-y

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