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Background  Feline leishmaniosis caused by  Leishmania infantum  is considered a rare disease in endemic areas, whereas subclinical infections are common. Immune response plays a key role in driving the course of  L. infantum  infection in other host species; however, the feline cell-mediated immune response to  L. infantum  infection has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the cell-mediated immune response specific to  L. infantum  by means of interferon (IFN)-γ release in whole blood assay from cats living in endemic areas (66 in Sicily and 113 in Catalonia) and to compare with antibody levels to  L. infantum  [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT)], blood parasite load and retroviral infections.    Results  Most cats ( n  = 140) were  L. infantum  antibody negative and only 22% ( n  = 39) were positive. Only 9 and 2% of tested cats had a feline immunodeficency virus (FIV) infection or a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection, respectively. Thirty-two cats out of 179 (18%) produced IFN-γ after stimulation with  L. infantum  soluble antigen (LSA) while the majority of cats (93%) produced IFN-γ after stimulation with concanavalin A (ConA). Six LSA-IFN-γ-producer cats were seropositive (three to ELISA and five to IFAT) but they were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negative, while only one cat was antibody- and PCR-positive. Significant positive correlations were found between IFN-γ concentrations after stimulation with LSA and ConA, and between serology and PCR testing. No association was found between FIV status and LSA or ConA-IFN-γ production. Combining PCR, serology and specific IFN-γ concentration results, we found that 36% of cats studied were exposed to  L. infantum.Conclusions  As expected, cats from endemic areas produce IFN-γ after  ex vivo  blood stimulation with LSA and therefore are able to activate a cell-mediated adaptive immune response against the parasite that is variably associated with antibody or blood PCR positivity. The association of this assay to serological and molecular tests provides a better estimate of cat exposure to  L. infantum.

Leishmania infantum-specific IFN-γ production in stimulated blood from cats living in areas where canine leishmaniosis is endemic