RESUMEN
ABSTRACT Cysteine proteinases are well-known virulence factors of Leishmania spp. with demonstrated actions in both experimental mouse infection and human infection. However, studies on these enzymes in canine leishmaniasis are scarce. Here, we show, for the first time, the reactivity of sera from dogs living in an endemic area to a recombinant protein from the COOH-terminal region of cysteine B protease. In this work, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed using a 14 kDa rcyspep protein obtained through a pET28-a expression system in Escherichia coli. First, 96-well plates were coated with rcyspep (500 ng/well) and incubated with sera from dogs (1:100). Subsequently, IgG antibody detection was performed using rabbit anti-dog IgG antibodies conjugated with peroxidase. Sera from dogs (n = 114), including suspect (n = 30) and positive (n = 50) dogs from a leishmaniasis-endemic area and dogs from a nonendemic area, (n = 34), negative for leishmaniasis, were assessed. The results showed that sera from the suspect (42%) and positive (68%) groups responded differently to the antigen titers tested above the cut-off (Optical Density = 0.166). This finding suggests that the immune response detected against cyspep may be related to clinical disorders present in these animals. Collectively, the data gathered here suggest that cyspep can sensitize the immune systems of dogs from a leishmaniasis-endemic area to elicit a humoral response, an immunological parameter indicating the contribution of this protein in host-parasite interaction.