Parasite genotypically related to a monoxenous trypanosomatid of dog's flea causing opportunistic infection in an HIV positive patient

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 93; no. 4; pp. 531 - 537
• Main Authors: Pacheco, R S, Marzochi, M C, Pires, M Q, Brito, C M, Madeira, M de F, Barbosa-Santos, E G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz 01.07.1998; Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - complications; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - parasitology; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Bone Marrow - parasitology; DNA, Kinetoplast - analysis; DNA, Protozoan - analysis; Dogs; Genotype; Humans; hybridization; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - complications; Macrophages - parasitology; Male; minicircle; minicircle - hybridization; monoxenous trypanosomatid; opportunistic infection; PARASITOLOGY; Protozoan Infections - complications; Protozoan Infections - diagnosis; Protozoan Infections - parasitology; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Trypanosomatina - genetics; Trypanosomatina - isolation & purification; monoxenous trypanosomatid; AIDS; minicircle; opportunistic infection; hybridization
• ISSN: 1678-8060; 0074-0276; 0074-0276; 1678-8060
• DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02761998000400021

An HIV positive patient presenting a clinical picture of visceral leishmaniasis co-infection was submitted to a bone marrow aspiration after admission to hospital. Amastigotes forms were seen in the bone marrow aspirate and the parasite grew in culture as promastigotes. Molecular analyses showed that the flagellates isolated did not belong to the genera Leishmania, Trypanosoma or Sauroleishmania. It was not possible to establish infection in laboratory animals. In vitro culture of mouse peritoneal macrophages revealed the invasion of the host cells by the flagellates and their killing 48 hr after infection. Opportunistic infection with an insect trypanosomatid was suspected. Further hybridization analyses against a pannel of different monoxenous and heteroxenous trypanosomatids showed kDNA cross-homology with Leptomonas pulexsimulantis a trypanosomatid found in the dog's flea. {P}