Relationship between changes in hematological parameters, levels of acute phase proteins and redox homeostasis during acute Babesia canis infection in dogs

Abstract

Hemolysis and systemic acute inflammation characterize canine babesiosis caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite Babesia canis. Our hypothesis was that blood redox homeostasis of patients that suffered acute B. canis infection might be disturbed even after treatment with imidocarb-dipropionate and successful clinical recovery. Eight owner dogs with acute B. canis infection were used for this study. We analyzed the complete blood count, acute phase proteins (ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, paraoxonase-1) in the serum, antioxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase) in the erythrocytes, and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde in erythrocytes and thiol groups in serum) at presentation and 15 days after treatment. Results were evaluated by corresponding statistical tests. At presentation, anemia, low/normal leukocyte count and severe thrombocytopenia occurred together with increased ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin levels within the reference interval, decreased paraoxonase-1 and compromised antioxidant defense in the red blood cells. After treatment and successful clinical recovery, hematological values generally fitted within the reference intervals, acute phase proteins were within the physiological levels in the majority of cases and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes were increased. However, elevated malondialdehyde levels indicated increased oxidative damage of erythrocytes that remained as a deleterious sequel despite a successful clinical recovery of the dogs.

Babezioza pasa, koju izaziva protozoa Babesia canis, praćena je hemolizom i sistemskom akutnom infl amacijom. Naša hipoteza je da kod pasa sa akutnom B. canis infekcijom, čak i nakon terapije imidokarb-dipropionatom i uspešnog kliničkog oporavka, postoji poremećaj redoks homeostaze. Studija uključuje osam vlasničkih pasa akutno infi ciranih babezijom. Analizirani su kompletna krvna slika, proteini akutne faze (ceruloplazmin, haptoglobin i paraoksonaza-1) u serumu, antioksidativni enzimi (katalaza i glutation peroksidaza) u eritrocitima i markeri oksidativnog stresa (malondialdehid u eritrocitima, tiolne grupe u serumu) na prezentaciji i 15 dana nakon terapije. Za procenu značajnosti rezultata primenjeni su odgovarajući statistički testovi. Anemija, nizak/normalan broj leukocita i teška trombocitopenija praćeni povišenom koncentracijom ceruloplazmina, haptoglobinom u fi ziološkim intervalima i sniženim nivoom paraoksonaze-1, kao i kompromitovana antioksidativna zaštita, uočeni su na prezentaciji. Nakon terapije i uspešnog kliničkog oporavka, hematološke vrednosti su bile u fi ziološkom opsegu, kao i proteini akutne faze kod većine pacijenata, a aktivnost antioksidativnih enzima je pojačana. Međutim, povišena koncentracija malondialdehida ukazuje na povećano oštećenje eritrocita koje je zaostalo uprkos uspešnom kliničkom oporavku pasa.