Ali Shabestari ASL, Majid SHARIFI, Mehdi MOHEBALI, Zabihollah ZAREI, Zohreh BABALOO, Behnaz AKHOUNDI

Evaluation of canine anti-Leishmania IgG subclasses and their relation with skin signs in naturally infected dogs in the northwest of Iran

Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is a severe, intracellular parasitic zoonosis and is an endemic complaint in Iran. Dogs are considered the reservoir host for Leishmania infantum in the Old World. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relation between anti-Leishmania antibody titers (IgG) and skin symptoms of CanL in naturally affected dogs and to assess the correlation of IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses of titers with these symptoms. Anti-Leishmania antibody titers were evaluated in 100 dogs' blood samples with the direct agglutination test (DAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. Based on DAT results, 45 samples were positive. Twenty-five of the positive dogs had cutaneous signs of leishmaniasis and 20 of them were asymptomatic (DAT of 1:320 and above). In the dogs, high levels of total IgG were found in symptomatic dogs. In ELISA, we found an apparent correlation between IgG1 and symptomatic dogs and between IgG2 and asymptomatic dogs. It seems that measurements of IgG subclasses can be used as gold-standard markers for evaluation of susceptibility or resistance to this lethal chronic infectious disease in dogs.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Key words: Canine leishmaniasis, immunoglobulin G, direct agglutination test, ELISA

Evaluation of canine anti-Leishmania IgG subclasses and their relation with skin signs in naturally infected dogs in the northwest of Iran

Keywords:

Key words: Canine leishmaniasis, immunoglobulin G, direct agglutination test, ELISA,

PDF

___

References Baneth, G., Itamar, A.: Canine leishmaniasis: a diagnostic and clinical challenge. Vet. J., 2008; 175: 14–15.
Moreno, J., Alvar, J.: Canine leishmaniasis: epidemiological risk and the experimental model. Trends Parasitol., 2002; 18: 399–405.
Mohebali, M., Hamzavim, Y., Zarei, Z.: Study on canine visceral leishmaniasis in some parts of Iran and its health importance. J. Tehran Univ. Vet. Facul., 2001; 56: 55–59.
Alborzi, A., Pouladfar, G.R., Aelami, M.H.: Visceral leishmaniasis; literature review and Iranian experience. Iranian J. Clin. Infect. Dis., 2007; 2: 99–108.
Lappin, M.R.: Protozoal infections. In: Ettinger, S.J., Feldman, E.C., Eds. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 7th edn., Saunders, St. Louis. 2010; 915–916.
Oliva, G., Scalone, A., Manzillo, V.F., Gramiccia, M., Pagano, A., Di Muccio, T., Gradoni, L.: Incidence and time course of Leishmania infantum infections examined by parasitological serologic, and nested-PCR techniques in a cohort of naive dogs exposed to three consecutive transmission seasons. J. Clin. Microbiol., 2006; 44: 1318–1322.
Özensoy Töz, S., Özbel, Y., Ertabaklar, H., Yıldızlı, N., Korkmaz, M, Alkan, M.Z.: Comparisons of clinical findings and serological data in the diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis. Turk. J. Vet. Anim. Sci., 2005; 29: 269–273.
El Harith, A., Slappendel, R.J., Reiter, I., Van Knapen, F., De Korte, P., Huigen, E., Kolk, A.H.: Application of a direct agglutination test for detection of specific anti-Leishmania antibodies in the canine reservoir. J. Clin. Microbiol., 1989; 27: 2252–2257.
Carrera, L., Fermín, M.L., Tesouro, M., Garcia, P., González, J.L., Mendez, S., Cuquerella, M., Alunda, J.M.: Antibody response in dogs experimentally infected with L. infantum infection course antigen markers. Exp. Parasitol., 1996; 82: 139–146.
Riera, C., Valladares, J.E., Gállego, M., Aisa, M.J., Castillejo, S., Fisa, R., Ribas, N., Carrio, J., Alberola, J., Arboix, M.: Serological and parasitological follow-up in dogs experimentally infected with L. infantum and treated with meglumine antimoniate. Vet. Parasitol., 1999; 84: 33–47.
Gradoni, L., Gramiccia, M.: Leishmaniasis. OIE Terrestrial Manual, 2008; 2.1.8: 241–250.
Pinelli, E., Killick-Kendrick, R., Wagenaar, J., Bernadina, W., del Real, G., Ruitenberg, J.: Cellular and humoral immune responses in dogs, experimentally and naturally infected with L. infantum. Infect. Immun., 1994; 62: 229–235.
Iniesta, L., Gállego, M., Portşs, M.: Immunoglobulin G and E responses in various stages of canine leishmaniasis. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 2005; 103: 77–81.
Deplazes, P., Smith, N.C., Arnold, P., Lutz, H., Eckert, J.: Specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibody responses of dogs to Leishmania infantum and other parasites. Parasite Immunol., 1995; 17: 451–458.
Nieto, C.G., Garcia-Alonso, M., Requena, J.M., Miron, C., Soto, M., Alonso, C., Navarrete, I.: Analysis of the humoral immune response against total and recombinant antigens of L. infantum: correlation with disease progression in canine experimental leishmaniasis. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 1999; 67: 117–130.
Almeida, M.A.O., Jesus, E.E.V., Sousa-Atta, M.L.B., Alves, L.C., Berne, M.E.A., Atta, A.M.: Anti-leishmanial antibody profile in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania chagasi. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol., 2005; 106: 151–158.
Martínez-Moreno, A., Moreno, T., Martínez-Moreno, F.J., Acosta, I., Hernandez, S.: Humoral and cell mediated immunity in natural and experimental canine leishmaniasis. Vet. Immunol Immunopathol., 1995; 48: 209–220.
Bourdoiseau, G., Bonnefont, C., Hoareau, E., Boehringer, C., Stolle, T., Chabanne, L.: Specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibody and lymphocyte subset levels in naturally Leishmania infantum infected treated and untreated dogs. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 1997; 59: 21–30.
Pintado, V., López-Velez, R.: HIV-associated visceral leishmaniasis. Clin. Microbiol. Infect., 2001; 7: 291–300.
Alexander, J., Bryson, K.: T helper (h)1/Th2 and Leishmania paradox rather than paradigm. Immunol. Letters, 2005; 99: 17–
Brachelente, C., Müller, M.G., Doherr, M.G., Sattler, U., Welle, M.: Cutaneous leishmaniasis in naturally infected dogs is associated with a T helper-2-biased immune response. Vet. Pathol. Online, 2005; 42: 166–175. de Oliveira Mendes, C., Paraguai de Souza, E., Borja-Cabrera, G.P., Batista, L.M.M., Dos Santos, M.A., Parra, L.E., Menz, I., Palatnik de Sousa, C.B.: IgG1/IgG2 antibody dichotomy in sera of vaccinated or naturally infected dogs with leishmaniasis. Vaccine, 2003; 21: 2589–2597.