Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High inflammatory proteins found in dogs with severe Babesia infection
By Goddard, Amelia et al.·Published in PloS one·2016·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Excessive Pro-Inflammatory Serum Cytokine Concentrations in Virulent Canine Babesiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 97 dogs infected with Babesia rossi, a parasite that causes severe illness, showed significant changes in their blood related to inflammation. Many of these dogs had high levels of certain inflammatory markers, which were linked to worse outcomes; 12% of the infected dogs sadly did not survive. The study found that dogs who were treated within 48 hours of showing symptoms had different cytokine levels compared to those who waited longer, suggesting that early treatment might improve chances of recovery. Overall, the findings indicate that managing inflammation could be crucial for better outcomes in dogs with this infection.
People also search for: dog Babesia rossi infection symptoms · dog inflammatory response treatment · early treatment for dog Babesia infection
Abstract
Babesia rossi infection causes a severe inflammatory response in the dog, which is the result of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in cytokine concentrations were present in dogs with babesiosis and whether it was associated with disease outcome. Ninety-seven dogs naturally infected with B. rossi were studied and fifteen healthy dogs were included as controls. Diagnosis of babesiosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at admission, prior to any treatment. Cytokine concentrations were assessed using a canine-specific multiplex assay on an automated analyser. Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured. Twelve of the Babesia-infected dogs died (12%) and 85 survived (88%). Babesia-infected dogs were also divided into those that presented within 48 hours from displaying clinical signs, and those that presented more than 48 hours after displaying clinical signs. Cytokine concentrations were compared between the different groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. IL-10 and MCP-1 concentrations were significantly elevated for the Babesia-infected dogs compared to the healthy controls. In contrast, the IL-8 concentration was significantly decreased in the Babesia-infected dogs compared to the controls. Concentrations of IL-6 and MCP-1 were significantly increased in the non-survivors compared to the survivors. Concentrations for IL-2, IL-6, IL-18 and GM-CSF were significantly higher in those cases that presented during the more acute stage of the disease. These findings suggest that a mixed cytokine response is present in dogs with babesiosis caused by B. rossi, and that an excessive pro-inflammatory response may result in a poor outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26953797/