Presence of anti-platelet IgM and IgG antibodies in dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum

Thirty-three dogs, naturally infected by Leishmania infantum, were enrolled in the study and were classified as oligo-symptomatic (n. 15) and symptomatic or markedly symptomatic (n. 18). A control group was 10 healthy dogs. A haematological profile was obtained and the dogs serum was employed to assess the presence of platelet binding IgM and IgG antibodies (PBIgM, PBIgG) using flow cytometry. FITC labelled goat anti-dog IgM or IgG were used to detect PBIgM and PBIgG. Samples with a mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) that was 100 channels higher on a log scale for more than 30% of the platelets than seen in negative control platelets from a healthy dog were considered positive for the presence of anti-platelet antibodies (PBIg). Twenty-one (63.3%) dogs revealed the presence of PBIg. Six of them were oligo-symptomatic while 15 showed moderate or severe clinical signs of illness. All the dogs with PBIg showed the presence of PBIgM, with nine animals showing both PBIgM and PBIgG. Nine of 18 symptomatic or markedly symptomatic dogs showed thrombocytopenia, while normal platelet counts were observed in all oligo-symptomatic animals. Eight of 9 thrombocytopenic animals showed the presence of PBIgM, while six of them showed PBIgG. One thrombocytopenic dog was negative for PBIg. This study is the first report documenting the presence of PBIg in natural canine leishmaniasis implying a pathogenic association between thrombocytopenia and the presence of antibody against platelet membrane.