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Leishmania infantum-specific IFN-γ production in stimulated blood from cats living in areas where canine leishmaniosis is endemic
Priolo, Vito (Università di Messina. Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie)
Martínez-Orellana, Pamela (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Pennisi, Maria Grazia (Università di Messina. Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie)
Masucci, Marisa (Università di Messina. Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie)
Prandi Chevalier, David (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)
Ippolito, Dorotea (Università di Messina. Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie)
Bruno, Federica (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia A. Mirri. Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Leishmaniosi (CReNaL))
Castelli, Germano (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia A. Mirri. Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Leishmaniosi (CReNaL))
Solano Gallego, Laia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals)

Date: 2019
Abstract: Background: Feline leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is considered a rare disease in endemic areas, whereas subclinical infections are common. Immune response plays a key role in driving the course of L. infantum infection in other host species; however, the feline cell-mediated immune response to L. infantum infection has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the cell-mediated immune response specific to L. infantum by means of interferon (IFN)-γ release in whole blood assay from cats living in endemic areas (66 in Sicily and 113 in Catalonia) and to compare with antibody levels to L. infantum [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT)], blood parasite load and retroviral infections. Results: Most cats (n = 140) were L. infantum antibody negative and only 22% (n = 39) were positive. Only 9 and 2% of tested cats had a feline immunodeficency virus (FIV) infection or a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection, respectively. Thirty-two cats out of 179 (18%) produced IFN-γ after stimulation with L. infantum soluble antigen (LSA) while the majority of cats (93%) produced IFN-γ after stimulation with concanavalin A (ConA). Six LSA-IFN-γ-producer cats were seropositive (three to ELISA and five to IFAT) but they were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negative, while only one cat was antibody- and PCR-positive. Significant positive correlations were found between IFN-γ concentrations after stimulation with LSA and ConA, and between serology and PCR testing. No association was found between FIV status and LSA or ConA-IFN-γ production. Combining PCR, serology and specific IFN-γ concentration results, we found that 36% of cats studied were exposed to L. infantum. Conclusions: As expected, cats from endemic areas produce IFN-γ after ex vivo blood stimulation with LSA and therefore are able to activate a cell-mediated adaptive immune response against the parasite that is variably associated with antibody or blood PCR positivity. The association of this assay to serological and molecular tests provides a better estimate of cat exposure to L. infantum.
Rights: Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. Creative Commons
Language: Anglès
Document: Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject: Leishmaniosi ; Gats ; Malalties ; Adaptive immunity ; Feline ; Humoral immunity ; IFN-γ release whole blood assay ; Retroviral infections ; PCR
Published in: Parasites & vectors, Vol. 12 Núm. 1 (26 2019) , p. 133, ISSN 1756-3305

DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3386-y
PMID: 30909952


9 p, 1.1 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Grup de Recerca Malalties infeccioses-inflamatòries en animals de companyia (MIAC)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles

 Record created 2020-06-03, last modified 2023-04-27



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