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Background: Leptospirosis is a neglected but widespread zoonotic disease throughout the world. Most mammals are hosts of Leptospira spp., including domestic cats, species in which no consensus has been reached on the clinical presentation or diagnosis of the disease. The study of acute-phase proteins (APPs) and biomarkers of oxidative status would contribute to knowledge about the disease in cats. This report evaluated four APPs: Serum amyloid A-SAA, Haptoglobin-Hp, albumin and Paraoxonase 1-PON1 and the antioxidant response through Total Antioxidant Capacity-TAC, in 32 free-roaming cats. Cats were classified as seroreactive for anti-leptospiral antibodies (group 1, n = 8), infected with Leptospira spp (group 2, n = 5) and leptospires-free cats (group 3, n = 19)., Results: SAA differences were observed between groups 1 and 2 (p-value = 0.01) and between groups 2 and 3 (p-value = 0.0001). Hp concentration differences were only detected between groups 2 and 3 (p-value = 0.001). Albumin concentrations only differed between groups 1 and 3 (p-value = 0.017) and 2 and 3 (p-value < 0.005). Cats in groups 1 (p-value < 0.005) and 2 (p-value < 0.005) had lower PON1 concentrations than group 3. No statistically significant differences between pairs of groups were detected for TAC concentrations. The principal component analysis (PCA) retained two principal components, (PC1 and PC2), explaining 60.1% of the observed variability of the inflammatory proteins and the antioxidant TAC., Conclusions: Increases in Serum SAA, Hp, and decreases in PON1 activity may indicate an active inflammatory state in infected cats (currently or recently infected)., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

In reply to a comment, we want to mention that we consider this report significant in animal leptospirosis [...].

Leptospirosis is the most neglected widespread zoonosis worldwide. In Spain, leptospirosis reports in people and animals have increased lately. Cats can become infected with Leptospira , as well as be chronic carriers. The aim of this study was to determine serological antibody prevalence against Leptospira sp., blood DNA, and shedding of DNA from pathogenic Leptospira species in the urine of cats in Spain. Microagglutination tests (MAT) and blood and urine TaqMan real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed. Leptospira antibodies were detected in 10/244 cats; with 4.1% positive results (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-7.18%). Titers ranged from 1:20 to 1:320 (serovars Ballum; Bataviae; Bratislava; Cynopteri; Grippotyphosa Mandemakers; Grippotyphosa Moskva; Pomona; and Proechimys). The most common serovar was Cynopteri. Blood samples from 1/89 cats amplified for Leptospira DNA (1.12%; 95% CI: 0.05-5.41%). Urine samples from 4/232 cats amplified for Leptospira DNA (1.72%; 95% CI: 0.55-4.10%). In conclusion free-roaming cats in Spain can shed pathogenic Leptospira DNA in their urine and may be a source of human infection. Serovars not previously described in cats in Spain were detected; suggesting the presence of at least 4 different species of pathogenic leptospires in the country ( L. borgpetersenii ; L. interrogans ; L. kirschneri ; and L. noguchii ).