Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Changes in dog acute-phase proteins after Ehrlichia canis infection
By Munhoz, Thiago Demarchi et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2012·Departamento de Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Experimental Ehrlichia canis infection changes acute-phase proteins.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs was intentionally infected with Ehrlichia canis, a bacteria that causes a serious disease known as canine ehrlichiosis, to study how the infection affects certain proteins in the body. The researchers found that levels of these proteins changed significantly during the infection, with some proteins showing abnormal levels just a few days after infection. This suggests that measuring these protein levels could help vets diagnose the disease earlier, even before obvious symptoms appear. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving treatment outcomes and the overall health of affected dogs.
People also search for: dog ehrlichiosis symptoms · early diagnosis of dog infections · treatment for Ehrlichia canis in dogs
Abstract
Early diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis favors prompt institution of treatment and improves the prognosis for the animal, since this disease causes mortality among dogs. Studies have shown that determining the concentration of acute-phase proteins (APPs) may contribute towards early detection of disease and aid in predicting the prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the APP profile in dogs experimentally infected with Ehrlichia canis, at the start of the infection and after treatment. It also investigated whether any correlation between APP levels and the clinical and laboratory alterations over the course of the disease would be possible. The results obtained showed abnormal levels of all the APPs on the third day after infection (D3), with the highest levels being reached on D18, with the exception of ceruloplasmin and acid glycoprotein, which presented their peaks on D6 and D12 respectively. We concluded that assessment of APP levels could contribute towards establishing an early diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis, particularly regarding acid glycoprotein and ceruloplasmin, since these proteins were detected at increased levels even before the onset of clinical and laboratory findings of the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23070428/