Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How imidocarb affects lymphocytes in dogs with Babesia canis infection
By Adaszek, Ł et al.·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·2015·Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Changes in selected subpopulations of lymphocytes in dogs infected with Babesia canis treated with imidocarb.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 10 dogs infected with Babesia canis, a parasite that can cause severe illness, were treated with a medication called imidocarb. These dogs showed a decrease in certain immune cells in their blood due to the infection. After receiving imidocarb, the levels of these immune cells began to rise, indicating a recovery process, although they didn't return to normal levels within the 12-day observation period. The treatment helped clear the parasite and improve the dogs' immune response, which is important for their overall recovery.
People also search for: dog Babesia canis treatment · imidocarb for dogs · dog immune system recovery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to track changes in selected subpopulations of lymphocytes in the blood of dogs infected with Babesia (B.) canis and treated with imidocarb. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 16 dogs divided into two groups. The first group (n = 6) consisted of healthy control animals. Dogs of the se- cond group (n = 10) were infected with B. canis and after establishment of the diagnosis each animal received a single dose of imido- carb (5 mg/kg). Flow cytometry was used to enumerate several immune cell phenotypes. RESULTS: It was concluded that the invasion of B. canis contributes to the decreased percentage of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD21+ lymphocytes in the blood of infected animals. The decreased level of tested subpopulations of lymphocytes in group 2 persisted for the entire 12-day period of the test. After the administration of imidocarb, each tested lymphocyte fraction in the blood of the dogs with babesiosis increased, but did not reach physiological values. CONCLUSION: The presented results indicate that the resolution of clinical signs associated with babesiosis may be related to the stimulation and intensity of cellular immunity, dependent on the CD4+ T cells profile. After administration of imidocarb, the parasitemia is cleared which allows the recovery of the lymphocyte populations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25771779/