Investigation of the bone metabolism in dogs with leishmaniasis.

The present study was aimed at determining bone metabolism related changes in dogs with visseral leishmaniasis such as vitamin D, calcium, phosphate and ALP levels as compared to healthy ones. A total of 40 serums of male dogs aged between 4 and 6 years that were sent to Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Medicine, Parasitology Laboratory from Kusadasy and Bodrum districts between the years 2012 and 2013, suspected with leishmaniasis, by the veterinary physicians in accordance with the cold chain rules and 20 of which were evaluated as leishmania seropositive and 20 as leishmania seronegative by the IFA test, were included in this study. There was no any statistically significant difference between the serum 25-OH-D3 levels of Leishmania positive and negative dogs (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between the serum ALP (p<0.05), and P levels were observed to be higher in the seropositive dogs than in the seronegative dogs, while Ca level was low (p<0.001).

Evaluation of serum cystatin-C in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis.

Serum Cystatin C (sCys-C) is one of the most important serum markers of renal function assessment in dogs. The purpose of this study was to determine the sCys-C concentration in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). In the study, 16 dogs with VL and 10 clinical healty dogs (control) were used. Mean sCys-C concentration of the infected dogs was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Mean serum creatinine concentration was lower and mean blood urea nitrogen, albumin and globulin concentrations were higher in dogs with VL; however, these changes were not statistically significant. Mean total protein and phosphorus concentrations were found to be higher in dogs with VL than healthy dogs (p < 0.05). No significant correlation had been determined between sCys-C and other variables. Visceral leishmaniasis in dogs has increased sCys-C concentration indicating a possible renal impairment; however, further studies are needed to be performed together with renal biopsies in the investigation sCys-C in dogs with VL.

A sero-epidemiological study of visceral leishmaniosis in Izmir District, Turkey.

Visceral leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum have been reported in Turkey. A total of 2055 blood samples collected in Izmir and six surrounding villages were tested for anti-Leishmania antibodies. Three established immunodiagnostic techniques, indirect fluorescence antibody (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and direct agglutination test (DAT), were employed using promastigotes and rK39 as antigens for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies. Five sero-positive cases (0.24%) were detected by the three tests used.