Anti-Leishmania IgA in urine samples from dogs with clinical leishmaniasis

Recently, anti-Leishmania IgG has been detected in urine samples from Leishmania-infected dogs and its concentrations have been correlated with impairment of renal function. The presence and relationship with other anti-Leishmania Ig isotypes in urine have not yet been investigated. The current study analyzed the concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgA and IgG in sera (Ig-S) and urine (Ig-U) samples by ELISA in 64 untreated dogs with clinical leishmaniasis. All 64 serum samples tested were positive for anti-Leishmania IgG. Fifty of them (78.1%) were also positive for anti-Leishmania IgA. The results showed the presence of anti-Leishmania IgA-U in 38% of the 50 dogs that were positive for specific IgA-S. Thirty-eight of the 64 dogs positive for Leishmania-specific IgG-S (59.4%) were also positive for Leishmania-specific IgG in urine (IgG-U). The concentrations of anti-Leishmania IgA-U were significantly correlated with urine protein/creatinine (uP/C) ratio (ρ = 0.542; P < 0.001) and with serum biochemical parameters, such as γ-globulins, urea and creatinine. Goldmann–Witmer coefficient (C value) indicated that detection of specific IgA in urine samples from dogs with leishmaniasis might not only be due to impairment of filtration of the glomerular barrier but also be due to local production of this isotype, which might reflect a local immunological response to the presence of the parasite in the genitourinary tract. Anti-Leishmania IgG-U concentrations were highly correlated with uP/C ratio (ρ = 0.779; P < 0.001) and C value did not support in any case local production of this isotype. IgG isotype might be a more suitable and specific tool to evaluate renal damage due to the lower IgA-U sensitivity and correlation coefficients and evidence of IgA local production. However, dogs found positive for both Ig isotypes in urine presented significantly higher specific IgG-U concentrations and higher uP/C ratios than dogs found positive only for IgG-U, thus suggesting that the first group suffered more severe renal damage. This fact makes it necessary to evaluate the prognosis of dogs showing both anti-Leishmania IgA-U and IgG-U in future studies.