Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Reduced immune response in dogs with visceral leishmaniosis liver
By Nascimento, M S L et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2015·Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Impairment of Interleukin-17A Expression in Canine Visceral Leishmaniosis is Correlated with Reduced Interferon-γ and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs infected with Leishmania infantum, which causes visceral leishmaniosis, were studied to understand how their immune systems responded to the infection. Some dogs showed symptoms like weight loss or lethargy, while others remained healthy. The research found that symptomatic dogs had more parasites in their bodies and a weaker immune response compared to asymptomatic dogs. Specifically, certain immune signals that help fight the infection were lower in the symptomatic dogs. This suggests that boosting these immune signals could help improve resistance to the disease in dogs.
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Abstract
Dogs are the primary urban reservoir of Leishmania infantum and play a crucial role in the transmission of this parasite to man via sandflies. The spleen and liver are the main target organs of L. infantum infection, but few studies have evaluated the immune response to this infection in the canine liver. To identify the immunological mediators involved in resistance and/or susceptibility to canine visceral leishmaniosis (CVL), we selected 21 dogs naturally infected by L. infantum and classified as asymptomatic or symptomatic. Immunological parameters were analysed and correlations with clinical signs were determined. Symptomatic dogs showed higher numbers of parasites and less leucocyte infiltration in the liver compared with asymptomatic dogs. The progression of this disease was characterized not only by the down regulation of T helper (Th) 1-related cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, but also by the down regulation of genes encoding interleukin (IL)-17A, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IL-10 in the spleen and liver in symptomatic dogs compared with asymptomatic dogs. Importantly, IL-17A gene transcription level was positively correlated with mRNA expression for iNOS and IFN-γ. Th1- and Th17-related cytokines therefore appear to play a role in restricting parasite growth via iNOS activation and decrease susceptibility of dogs to CVL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26590047/