HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by SOLANO-GALLEGO, L. Articles by ALBEROLA, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by SOLANO-GALLEGO, L. Articles by ALBEROLA, J. Related Collections Leishmaniasis

LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF DOGS LIVING IN AN AREA OF SPAIN HIGHLY ENDEMIC FOR LEISHMANIASIS BY SEROLOGIC ANALYSIS AND THE LEISHMANIN SKIN TEST

The literature contains few longitudinal studies that have assessed areas endemic for canine leishmaniasis and over the same time interval Leishmania-specific cellular and humoral immunity in healthy dogs. Fourteen dogs, three mixed breed and 11 Ibizian hounds, living in an area of Spain that was highly endemic for leishmaniasis were followed-up over a three-year period by serologic analysis and the leishmanin skin test (LST). All but one of these dogs remained clinically healthy during the study period. Seroconversion was observed in four dogs. The three mixed breed dogs had a negative reaction in the LST in the first and third years. The general trend in the Ibizian hounds was an increase in the diameter of the LST reaction at both the 48- and 72-hour readings in the third year. This study demonstrates that in addition to an increase in Leishmania-specific humoral immune response in Ibizian hounds, a parallel increase in cellular immune response was observed.

Received February 2, 2004. Accepted for publication October 13, 2004.

Acknowledgments: We are very grateful to the owners of the dogs for agreeing to include them in this study.

Authors’ addresses: Laia Solano-Gallego, Alhelí Rodríguez, and Jordi Alberola, Departament de Farmacologia, Terapèutica i Toxicologia, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain, Telephone: 34-93-581-1532, Fax: 34-93-581-2217. E-mail: Jordi.Alberola{at}uab.es. Joan Llull, Hospital Mon Veterinari, Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. Antonio Ramis, Hugo Fernández-Bellon, and Lluís Ferrer, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animal, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain, Telephone: 34-93-581-1421, Fax: 34-93-581-2006.

Reprint requests: Jordi Alberola, Departament de Farmacologia, Terapèutica i Toxicologia, Facultat de Veterinària. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.