IL-12 detection after SLA stimulation in felines from endemic Visceral Leishmaniasis area

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal zoonosis that we have seen on the rise in recent years. Likewise, the number of cases of feline leishmaniasis shows a global epidemiological increase. Most infected cats have the subclinical disease and, unlike dogs, cats seem to control parasitemia and show resistance to the disease. The immune response plays an important role in the course of Leishmania infection in dogs, in this species cellular immunity when generated can promote or control parasitemia, but few studies have investigated cellular immunity in felines. Thus, the present work aims to compare the serum levels of IL-12, the main cytokine that induces a cellular response, in asymptomatic felines infected with Leishmania spp. and uninfected cats. In addition, the production of IL-12 in the supernatant of cultured mononuclear cells from felines without infection will also be evaluated after stimulation with Leishmania infantum antigens. The results may elucidate whether IL-12 has a regulatory role in feline leishmaniasis.