EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF AB BLOOD SYSTEM PHENOTYPES IN FELINE LEISHMANIOSIS

Background: In people susceptibility to certain diseases can be influenced by blood type. For example, studies have shown that cutaneous leishmaniosis is more common in people with Rh-negative blood groups with B alleles. Little is known about the role of blood types in feline infections. Feline leishmaniosis is an emergent disease, and rate of infection in cats in endemic regions varies based on different factors. Objective: To evaluate if AB blood system phenotypes A, B or AB are associated with natural infection by Leishmania infantum in cats from Italy, a country in southern Europe with moderate-to-high endemicity for leishmaniosis. Methods: L. infantum infection was investigated in 706 cats using IFAT (n=687) and real-time PCR (qPCR) on blood (n=673) and/or on lymph node aspirates (n=277). Cats with IFAT titer 31:80 and/or positive qPCR were considered infected. In the same feline population, the blood phenotypes A, B and AB were determined using agglutination on tube method, with type B and AB samples confirmed by back typing and immunochromatographic techniques. Results: L. infantum infection was found in 67/706 cats (9.5%), while A, B and AB blood phenotypes prevalence was 83.1%, 10.1% and 6.8%, respectively. L. infantum infection was demonstrated in cats of all three phenotypes. There was no significant association between general infection and the blood phenotype (P=0.7294), neither for L. infantum IFAT seropositivity (P=0.7740) or only qPCR positivity (P=0.4584). Conclusions: AB feline blood system phenotype antigens and correlated natural alloantibodies do not appear to play a role in feline leishmaniosis infection.