title: Long term follow-up of dogs diagnosed with leishmaniosis (clinical stage II) and treated with meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol.
abstract: Twenty-three dogs with a diagnosis of leishmaniosis (clinical stage II) were treated with meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol and were followed up for 2-9 years. The treatment showed efficacy and the clinical condition of the dogs improved markedly in the first 3 months of treatment. Anti-Leishmania antibody titres declined slowly although most dogs remained seropositive 1 year after beginning treatment. Inter-individual variability in the evolution of the titres was very high. The dogs presented with three types of complications during the follow-up period. (1) Three dogs experienced relapses characterized by clinical signs, high anti-Leishmania titres and high parasitaemia. (2) Eight dogs presented immune-mediated lesions, such as uveitis, arthritis and cutaneous vasculitis; in all of these cases, the dogs had high titres of anti-Leishmania antibodies at diagnosis and during follow-up. (3) Three dogs presented xanthine urolithiasis most likely due to the allopurinol treatment. In one case the xanthine uroliths led to hydronephrosis and nephrectomy. The study demonstrated a long survival for dogs with leishmaniosis treated with the combination of meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol. Clinicians should pay special attention to the appearance of immune-mediated lesions, especially in dogs with sustained high antibody titres, and to urolithiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery and Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bardagí
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Roura
authors.forename: Giordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanna
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ravera
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrer
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D000493:Allopurinol; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate