Canine Leishmaniasis: The relation between the height of the DAT antibody titer and clinical, hematological and biochemical manifestations

Abstract

Background: CanL is a disease caused by the Protozoa Leishmania infantum. This disease can lead to several clinical signs and manifestations in the hematological analysis, urinalysis and biochemical profile. Some clinical signs are associated with the individual animal’s immune response. The Direct Agglutination Test can be used to diagnose the disease by assessing the height of the antibody level against Leishmania. Several clinical staging systems for CanL exist and are currently being used to predict the severity, treatment and prognosis of the disease. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the correlation between the height of the antibody titer and clinical, hematological and biochemical manifestations. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted based on patient files of dogs with a DAT antibody result for CanL. 118 dogs were included in the study of which 80 dogs had a negative (£1:40) and 38 dogs had a positive (>1:40) antibody titer. Of each dog, results of the anamnesis, the physical exam, the hematology and biochemical bloodwork were collected from their files. All dogs with a diagnose of CanL were retrospectively classified in three different clinical staging systems. Results: Lymphadenomegaly, alopecia and crustae on the ears were the most common clinical signs found in dogs with CanL. The most frequent hematological and biochemical findings in these dogs, were a hypergammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia and hyperproteinemia. Positive, untreated dogs showed a significant higher level of gamma-globulins and total proteins but a lower UPCR. A significant positive correlation between the height of the antibody level and the level of urea and a negative correlation between the height of the antibody level and the level of leucocytes was found. No correlation was found between the height of the antibody level and three different clinical staging systems. Conclusion: The results of this study partly support the idea that DAT titers are related to the hematological and biochemical manifestations but reject the hypothesis that the DAT titer is correlated to clinical manifestations. Further studies are needed in order to further explore this possible correlation.