Immune response to Leishmania infantum in healthy horses in Spain.
Abstract: Leishmania infantum infection has recently been described in horses in Europe. We report the results of a study on the immune response to L. infantum in horses living in an area endemic for leishmaniosis in NE Spain. Two ELISAs using protein A and anti-horse IgG conjugates were adapted to measure specific antibodies to L. infantum in horse sera. A lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to L. infantum antigen was also performed to detect specific cellular immune response to Leishmania. Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in the serum of 16 of the horses studied (n=112) using the protein A assay but not in the assay using the anti-horse IgG conjugate. Specific lymphocyte proliferation was observed in 20 out of 55 horses. This study shows that horses in the area studied mount specific immune responses to L. infantum, and must therefore be considered among the species exposed to the parasite in this region. The infrequency of leishmaniosis in horses suggests that the immune response in this species is effective in controlling the infection.
Publication Date: 2005-10-06 PubMed ID: 16213661DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.09.007Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article focuses on understanding the horse immune response to Leishmania infantum infection in north-eastern Spain, where the disease is endemic. The researchers used laboratory tests to measure how the horses’ bodies recognized and responded to the parasite, suggesting that horses in the region must be considered potential carriers due to their specific immune response.
Understanding Leishmania infantum
- Leishmania infantum is a parasite responsible for causing the disease leishmaniosis in animals and humans, and has previously been identified in horses within Europe.
- The infection is endemic in certain parts of Spain, hence the researchers aimed to understand the immune response in horses within this region.
Methodology
- Two ELISAs (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays), using protein A and anti-horse IgG conjugates, were adapted to measure specific antibodies against L. infantum within horse serum (the fluid part of the blood).
- A lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells to detect a specific cellular immune response to Leishmania. Lymphocyte proliferation indicates the activation of certain white blood cells that are key in fighting off foreign invading organisms.
Results
- Using the protein A assay, anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in the serum of 16 of the 112 horses studied. However, the anti-horse IgG conjugate assay did not identify these antibodies.
- Specific lymphocyte proliferation, indicating an immune response, was observed in 20 out of the 55 horses tested.
Implications
- The study’s results indicate that horses within the studied region show a specific immune response against L. infantum, suggesting that they are exposed to the parasite.
- This conclusion means horses in this region must be considered potential carriers of the disease as they react immunologically to the parasite.
- The relative rarity of leishmaniosis in horses could be due to an effective immune response, which enables horses to control and limit the infection. This could also be researched further to develop potential treatment or prevention strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Fernández-Bellon H, Solano-Gallego L, Bardagí M, Alberola J, Ramis A, Ferrer L.
(2005).
Immune response to Leishmania infantum in healthy horses in Spain.
Vet Parasitol, 135(2), 181-185.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.09.007 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan / biosynthesis
- Antibodies, Protozoan / blood
- Endemic Diseases / veterinary
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Immunity, Cellular
- Immunoglobulin G / immunology
- Leishmania infantum / immunology
- Leishmania infantum / isolation & purification
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral / epidemiology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral / immunology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral / veterinary
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Male
- Spain / epidemiology
- Staphylococcal Protein A / immunology
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Montaner-Angoiti E, Llobat L. Is leishmaniasis the new emerging zoonosis in the world?. Vet Res Commun 2023 Jul 12;.
- Gazzonis AL, Morganti G, Porcellato I, Roccabianca P, Avallone G, Gavaudan S, Canonico C, Rigamonti G, Brachelente C, Veronesi F. Detection of Leishmania spp. in Chronic Dermatitis: Retrospective Study in Exposed Horse Populations.. Pathogens 2022 May 31;11(6).
- Ahuir-Baraja AE, Ruiz MP, Garijo MM, Llobat L. Feline Leishmaniosis: An Emerging Public Health Problem.. Vet Sci 2021 Aug 30;8(9).
- Cardoso L, Schallig H, Persichetti MF, Pennisi MG. New Epidemiological Aspects of Animal Leishmaniosis in Europe: The Role of Vertebrate Hosts Other Than Dogs.. Pathogens 2021 Mar 6;10(3).
- Gazzonis AL, Bertero F, Moretta I, Morganti G, Mortarino M, Villa L, Zanzani SA, Morandi B, Rinnovati R, Vitale F, Manfredi MT, Cardoso L, Veronesi F. Detecting antibodies to Leishmania infantum in horses from areas with different epizooticity levels of canine leishmaniosis and a retrospective revision of Italian data.. Parasit Vectors 2020 Oct 22;13(1):530.
- Escobar TA, Dowich G, Dos Santos TP, Zuravski L, Duarte CA, Lübeck I, Manfredini V. Assessment of Leishmania infantum infection in equine populations in a canine visceral leishmaniosis transmission area.. BMC Vet Res 2019 Oct 30;15(1):381.
- Nardoni S, Altomonte I, Salari F, Martini M, Mancianti F. Serological and Molecular Findings of Leishmania Infection in Healthy Donkeys (Equus asinus) from a Canine Leishmaniosis Endemic Focus in Tuscany, Italy: A Preliminary Report.. Pathogens 2019 Jul 9;8(3).
- Navea-Pérez HM, Díaz-Sáez V, Corpas-López V, Merino-Espinosa G, Morillas-Márquez F, Martín-Sánchez J. Leishmania infantum in wild rodents: reservoirs or just irrelevant incidental hosts?. Parasitol Res 2015 Jun;114(6):2363-70.
- Lombardo G, Pennisi MG, Lupo T, Chicharro C, Solano-Gallego L. Papular dermatitis due to Leishmania infantum infection in seventeen dogs: diagnostic features, extent of the infection and treatment outcome.. Parasit Vectors 2014 Mar 24;7:120.
- Lopes AP, Sousa S, Dubey JP, Ribeiro AJ, Silvestre R, Cotovio M, Schallig HD, Cardoso L, Cordeiro-da-Silva A. Prevalence of antibodies to Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in horses from the north of Portugal.. Parasit Vectors 2013 Jun 17;6:178.
- Martínez V, Quilez J, Sanchez A, Roura X, Francino O, Altet L. Canine leishmaniasis: the key points for qPCR result interpretation.. Parasit Vectors 2011 Apr 13;4:57.
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