IL-6 and TNF-α production during active canine visceral leishmaniasis

• Published in: Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology Vol. 115; no. 1; pp. 189 - 193
• Main Authors: de Lima, Valeria M.F., Peiro, Juliana Regina, de Oliveira Vasconcelos, Rosemeri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-01-2007
• Subjects: Animals; Cytokine; Dog Diseases - immunology; Dogs; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; IL-6; Interleukin-6 - biosynthesis; Leishmania ( Leishmania) chagasi; Leishmania chagasi; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - immunology; Leishmaniasis, Visceral - veterinary; Male; TNF-α; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Visceral leishmaniasis; Leishmania ( Leishmania) chagasi; TNF-α; Visceral leishmaniasis; IL-6; Cytokine
• ISSN: 0165-2427; 1873-2534; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2006.10.003

We investigated the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) during canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) to gain a better understanding of the role of such multi-functional cytokines in parasite resistance. IL-6 and TNF-α levels were measured by capture ELISA in sera from 8 healthy dogs from a non-endemic area (control group) and in sera from 16 dogs from Araçatuba, SP, Brazil, an area endemic for leishmaniosis. The dogs from the endemic area were selected by positive ELISA serology against total
Leishmania chagasi antigen, positive spleen imprints for
Leishmania, and the presence of at least three clinical signs associated with active visceral leishmaniasis (fever, dermatitis, lymphoadenopathy, onychogryphosis, weight loss, cachexia, locomotory difficulty, conjunctivitis, epistaxis, hepatosplenomegaly, edema, and apathy).
Enhanced systemic IL-6 production was found in sera from dogs with the active disease compared to healthy dogs (
t-test,
P
<
0.05). In contrast, TNF-α did not differ between the two groups studied. There was no correlation between IL-6 production and anti-leishmanial antibody titers in the sera. Our findings suggest that IL-6 is a good marker of active disease during leishmaniasis, and that other cytokines may be involved in the hypergammaglobulinemia characteristic of canine visceral leishmaniasis.