Recombinant antigen KMP11 for Leishmania infantum

The canine leishmaniosis is a vector-borne disease caused by the intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Although it has been demonstrated that dogs can be infected by at least twelve different species of Leishmania, the most important etiological agent of leishmaniosis is Leishmania infantum (Leishmania chagasi in Central and South America), which is the main cause of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniosis in dogs and humans in the south of Europe, near East, Africa and Central and South America. The dog is the specie more predisposed to suffer the infection of L. infantum and where the clinical symptoms are more aggressive. The canine leishmaniosis is spread in approximately 50 countries around the world, with especially high prevalence in countries of the Mediterranean basin and of South America.

Leishmaniosis is less known in cats than in dogs and humans. However, epidemiological studies have confirmed that feline infections are not rare, and that disease occurrence might be underestimated in endemic areas.

The protein KMP11 is a kinetoplastid membrane protein of 11 kDa. It has been described that the mayority of individuals with Leishmania infection without disease did not have antibodies to KMP11. Therefore serological tests with this recombinant antigen may be helpful as tools to determine therapeutic responses for VL, being the detection of antibodies to KMP11 helpful to differentiate subclinical Leishmania infection from active VL.

For diagnosis of the disease in dogs and cats.

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