BACKGROUND: In endemic areas of zoonotic leishmaniosis caused by L. infantum, early detection of Leishmania infection in dogs is essential to control the dissemination of the parasite to humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serological and/or molecular diagnostic performance of minimally and non-invasive samples (conjunctiva cells (CS) and peripheral blood (PB)) for monitoring Leishmania infection/exposure to Phlebotomus perniciosus salivary antigens in dogs at the beginning and the end of sand fly seasonal activity (May and October, respectively) and to assess associated risks factors. METHODS: A total of 208 sheltered dogs from endemic areas of leishmaniosis were screened. Leishmania DNA detection in PB on filter paper and CS was performed by nested-PCR (nPCR), while the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies was performed using IFAT and ELISA. The exposure to P. perniciosus salivary antigens (SGH, rSP01 and rSP03B + rSP01) was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Ninety-seven (46.6%) and 116 (55.8%) of the 208 dogs were positive to Leishmania antibodies or DNA by at least one test at the beginning and end of the sand fly season, respectively. IFAT and ELISA presented a substantial agreement in the serodiagnosis of leishmaniosis. Discrepant PB nPCR results were obtained between sampling points. Leishmania DNA was detected in CS of 72 dogs at the end of the phlebotomine season. The presence of antibodies to the parasite measured by ELISA was significantly higher in dogs presenting clinical signs compatible with leishmaniosis at both sampling points. Phlebotomus perniciosus salivary antibodies were detected in 179 (86.1%) and 198 (95.2%) of the screened dogs at the beginning and end of the phlebotomine season, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The association between ELISA positivity and clinical signs suggests its usefulness to confirm a clinical suspicion. CS nPCR seems to be an effective and non-invasive method for assessing early exposure to the parasite. PB nPCR should not be used as the sole diagnostic tool to monitor Leishmania infection. The correlation between the levels of antibodies to P. perniciosus saliva and Leishmania antibodies suggests the use of a humoral response to sand fly salivary antigens as biomarkers of L. infantum infection.

• Klíčová slova
• Blood, Conjunctival cells, Dog, Exposure, L. infantum, Phlebotomus pernicious, Saliva,
• MeSH
• antigeny protozoální imunologie   MeSH
• endemické nemoci prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• hmyz - vektory parazitologie   MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny imunologie   MeSH
• imunoglobulin G krev   MeSH
• konjunktiva cytologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• kousnutí a bodnutí hmyzem MeSH
• Leishmania infantum izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• leishmanióza krev   imunologie   veterinární   MeSH
• nemoci psů parazitologie   prevence a kontrola   přenos   MeSH
• Phlebotomus parazitologie   MeSH
• protilátky protozoální krev   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny imunologie   MeSH
• psi MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• sérologické testy MeSH
• slinné proteiny a peptidy imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• psi MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny protozoální MeSH
• hmyzí proteiny MeSH
• imunoglobulin G MeSH
• protilátky protozoální MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH
• slinné proteiny a peptidy MeSH