title: Susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in the domestic dog is associated with MHC class II polymorphism.
abstract: Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease of dogs, humans and other animals caused by the intracellular macrophage parasite Leishmania infantum. We examined the relationship between DLA class II alleles ( DRB1, DQA1, DQB1) and the course of infection in a cohort of Brazilian mongrel dogs exposed to natural L. infantum infection. DLA alleles were typed by sequence-based typing. DLA-DRB1 genotype was significantly associated with levels of anti- Leishmania IgG and parasite status assessed by PCR. Dogs with DLA-DRB1*01502 had higher levels of specific IgG and an increased risk of being parasite positive compared with dogs without this allele, controlling for other alleles and significant variables. No significant associations were seen for DLA-DQA1 or DLA-DQB1 alleles. These results suggest that the DLA-DRB1 locus plays a role in determining susceptibility to canine VL. As the domestic dog is the main reservoir for human infection, the identification of genetic factors influencing canine resistance or susceptibility to VL may provide insights into the immunology and potential control through vaccination of VL.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, Leeds, UK. R.J.Quinnell@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rupert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Quinnell
authors.forename: Lorna J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Orin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Courtenay
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dye
authors.forename: Lourdes M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garcez
authors.forename: Marie-Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Stuart D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: William E R
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Ollier
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II / Q000235:genetics; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II