Vaccination is commonly used to protect dogs against leptospirosis, however, memory immune responses induced by canine Leptospira vaccines have not been studied. In the present study, antibody and T cell mediated responses were assessed in dogs before and 2 weeks after annual revaccination with a commercial tetravalent Leptospira vaccine containing serogroups Canicola and Australis. Vaccination significantly increased average log₂ IgG titers from 6.50 to 8.41 in year 1, from 5.99 to 7.32 in year 2, from 5.32 to 8.32 in year 3 and from 5.32 to 7.82 in year 4. The CXCL-10 levels, induced by in vitro stimulation of PBMC with Canicola and Australis, respectively, significantly increased from 1039.05 pg/ml and 1037.38 pg/ml before vaccination to 2547.73 pg/ml and 2730.38 pg/ml after vaccination. IFN-γ levels increased from 85.60 pg/ml and 178.13 pg/ml before vaccination to 538.62 pg/ml and 210.97 pg/ml after vaccination. The percentage of proliferating CD4⁺ T cells in response to respective Leptospira strains significantly increased from 1.43 % and 1.25 % before vaccination to 24.11 % and 14.64 % after vaccination. Similar responses were also found in the CD8⁺ T cell subset. Vaccination also significantly enhanced the percentages of central memory CD4⁺ T cells from 12 % to 26.97 % and 27.65 %, central memory CD8⁺ T cells from 3 % to 9.47 % and 7.55 %, and effector CD8⁺ T cells from 3 % to 7.6 % and 6.42 %, as defined by the expression of CD45RA and CD62L, following stimulation with Canicola and Australis, respectively. Lastly, enhanced expression of the activation marker CD25 on T cells after vaccination was found. Together, our results show that next to IgG responses, also T cell responses are induced in dogs upon annual revaccination with a tetravalent Leptospira vaccine, potentially contributing to protection.

Esther Hindriks

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