PCR-based detection of canine Leishmania infections in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin biopsies: elaboration of a protocol for quality assessment of the diagnostic amplification reaction.

Diagnosis of the cutaneous form of canine leishmaniosis is mostly performed by histological or immunohistological examination of skin biopsies. In modern histology, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has gained increasing importance as a complementary tool to directly demonstrate the presence of parasite DNA in the tissue sections. For the present study, a previously described Leishmania-PCR has been further developed and optimised in view of its practicability for routine histological application. Since formalin-fixation of histological specimens causes partial DNA-destruction, which may hamper diagnostic PCR analysis, primers specific for the highly conserved alpha-actin gene sequences were used to pre-diagnostically assess the isolated sample-DNA for its functionality in a PCR-reaction. This alpha-actin-specific PCR detects DNA from a large variety of mammalian species and thus exhibits relevance for both human and veterinary medical application. A recombinant internal positive control was introduced to monitor possible sample-related inhibitory effects during the amplification reaction. We performed a retrospective evaluative study with 18 formalin-fixed samples from dogs with suspected or proven leishmaniosis. Six samples were PCR-incompatible. In turn, 9 of the other 12 samples were PCR-positive, and immunohistochemical results matched these findings. Based on these technical achievements, the Leishmania-PCR proved to be a valuable tool to complement conventional histological and immunohistological methods for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniosis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsies.