Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New blood test to diagnose and monitor leishmaniosis in dogs
By Sarquis, Juliana et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Department of Animal Health, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical validation of circulating immune complexes for use as a diagnostic marker of canine leishmaniosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with leishmaniosis, a serious disease caused by a parasite, were monitored to see how well a new blood test could measure levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC), which can indicate disease severity and treatment response. The study found that dogs with more advanced disease had higher CIC levels, while those that responded well to treatment showed decreasing levels over time. This suggests that tracking CIC levels could help veterinarians assess how well a dog is responding to treatment and whether there is a risk of relapse. The researchers believe this test could be a useful tool in managing canine leishmaniosis.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is a systemic disease that affects dogs. When multiplication of the parasite cannot be controlled, dogs consistently show high levels of antigen and IgG antibodies, which lead to the formation of circulating immune complexes (CIC). Timely intervention to reduce the parasite load and CIC levels is crucial for preventing irreversible organ damage. However, a diagnostic test to quantify CIC levels is currently lacking. METHODS: In this real-world study, we aimed to examine the performance of a new ELISA to measure CIC levels in dogs naturally infected with. Thirty-four dogs were treated according to their clinical condition and followed for 360 days. Before (day 0) and after treatment (days 30, 90, 180, 270, and 360), all dogs underwent a physical examination, and blood samples were obtained for CBC, biochemical profile, serum protein electrophoresis and IFAT. Serum PEG-precipitated CIC were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Our results indicate higher CIC levels in dogs in advanced disease stages showing higher antibody titres ( < 0.0001, = 0.735), anemia ( < 0.0001), dysproteinemia ( < 0.0001), and proteinuria ( = 0.004). Importantly, dogs responding well to treatment exhibited declining CIC levels ( < 0.0001), while in poor responders and those experiencing relapses, CIC were consistently elevated. CIC emerged as a robust discriminator of relapse, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.808. The optimal cut-off to accurately identify relapse was an optical density of 1.539. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that declining CIC levels should be expected in dogs showing a favorable treatment response. Conversely, in dogs displaying a poor response and recurrent clinical relapses, CIC levels will be high, emphasizing the need for vigilant monitoring. These findings suggest that CIC could serve as a valuable biomarker for disease progression, treatment efficacy, and relapse detection in CanL. Our study contributes to enhancing diagnostic approaches for CanL and underscores the potential of CIC as a complementary tool in veterinary practice. As we move forward, larger studies will be essential to confirm these findings and establish definitive cut-offs for clinical application.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38562919/