Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How oclacitinib and cyclosporin affect dog immune response
By Murillo-Picco, Andrea et al.·Published in Scientific reports·2026·Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ex vivo effects of oclacitinib and cyclosporin A on canine immune response to Leishmania infantum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how two medications, cyclosporin A (CsA) and oclacitinib (Oc), affect the immune response in dogs with leishmaniosis, a disease caused by the Leishmania parasite. The researchers found that CsA significantly lowered the production of important immune signals in dogs that were either healthy or already affected by the disease. Oclacitinib had a smaller impact, only reducing one type of immune signal in dogs that were already sick. This suggests that while CsA can weaken the immune response broadly, oclacitinib may have a more limited effect.
People also search for: dog leishmaniosis treatment · cyclosporin A for dogs · oclacitinib immune response in dogs
Abstract
Canine leishmaniosis (CanL), caused by Leishmania infantum, is primarily controlled by a Th1-type immune response. Cyclosporin A (CsA) and oclacitinib (Oc) are commonly used immunomodulatory drugs which might affect the immune response of dogs making them more susceptible to developing clinical leishmaniosis. This study aimed to evaluate, ex vivo, the effects of CsA and Oc on the production of IFN-γ, IL-17a, and IL-2 measured by ELISA in response to L. infantum soluble antigen (LSA). Dogs were divided into three groups: healthy seronegative non-IFN-γ producers (group 1, n = 11), healthy seronegative/seropositive IFN-γ producers (group 2, n = 9), and clinically affected seropositive IFN-γ producers (group 3, n = 10). Whole blood assays were stimulated with LSA, Concanavalin A (ConA), or culture medium, in the presence or absence of CsA (200 ng/mL) or Oc (168.5 and 337 ng/mL). CsA significantly reduced the production of all three cytokines in response to both LSA and ConA in groups 2 and 3, and after ConA stimulation in all groups. Oc at 337 ng/mL significantly decreased IFN-γ production only in group 3 after LSA stimulation. In conclusion, CsA broadly suppresses proinflammatory cytokine responses to L. infantum, while Oc shows a more limited effect, reducing IFN-γ only in clinically affected dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41667539/