Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
IgG antibody levels linked to parasite load and symptoms in dogs
By Teixeira Neto, Rafael Gonçalves et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2010·Laborató, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Relationship of Leishmania-specific IgG levels and IgG avidity with parasite density and clinical signs in canine leishmaniasis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 40 dogs infected with Leishmania were examined for signs of illness and levels of the parasite in their bodies. Some dogs showed no symptoms, while others had noticeable health issues. The study found that dogs with more severe symptoms had higher levels of the parasite and specific antibodies in their blood. This suggests that the disease starts without symptoms and can progress to a more serious form as the parasite load increases. Treatments and management strategies for these dogs would depend on their clinical signs and parasite levels.
People also search for: dog leishmaniasis symptoms · treatment for dog with Leishmania · why is my dog losing weight and has skin problems
Abstract
The clinical status and tissue parasite burden of the skin and spleen of 40 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania chagasi (syn. Leishmania infantum), together with 5 uninfected control dogs, were assessed. On the basis of the clinical evaluation, infected dogs were classified as asymptomatic (AD) or symptomatic (SD). Infected animals were also grouped according to their parasite load as exhibiting low (LP), medium (MP) and high (HP) parasitism. The results indicated a high parasite load in the skin samples of SD animals in relation to the AD group. The serum immunoglobin isotype profiles of the studied animals revealed increased levels of IgG(1) in the AD and LP dogs, whereas high levels of IgG(2) were correlated with SD and HP dogs. The avidity index (AI) of IgG(total) in the SD group was high in comparison of that of the AD group. Moreover, animals with a larger parasite burden either in the spleen or skin showed higher AI values than animals with lower parasitism. Based on these findings, it is suggested that CVL commences with an asymptomatic clinical form with low parasitism, high production of IgG(1) and low affinity of IgG(total) molecules, and evolves into a symptomatic clinical form with higher parasitism intensity, higher IgG(2) levels, and high affinity of IgG(total).
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20188477/