TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular Typing of Leishmania spp. Causing Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Italy, 2014-2020
AU - Skin Leish RER Network
AU - Gritti, T
AU - Carra, E
AU - van der Auwera, G
AU - Solana, JC
AU - Gaspari, V
AU - Trincone, S
AU - Ortalli, M
AU - Rabitti, A
AU - Reggiani, A
AU - Rugna, G
AU - Varani, S
N1 - FTX; DOAJ; (CC BY)
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Leishmania
KW - Heat shock protein 70
KW - Sequencing
KW - Tegumentary leishmaniasis
KW - Whole genome sequencing
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=itm_wosliteitg&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:001152967500001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
U2 - 10.3390/pathogens13010019
DO - 10.3390/pathogens13010019
M3 - A1: Web of Science-article
C2 - 38251327
SN - 2076-0817
VL - 13
JO - Pathogens
JF - Pathogens
IS - 1
M1 - 19
ER -