Changes in selected subpopulations of lymphocytes in dogs infected with Babesia canis treated with imidocarb

Summary

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 second group (n = 10) were infected with B. canis and after establishment of the diagnosis each animal received a single dose of imidocarb (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.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel: Ziel der Studie war herauszufinden, welche Veränderungen ausgewählter Subpopulationen von Blutlymphozyten bei Hunden auftreten, die mit Protozoen des Typs Babesia (B.) canis infiziert sind und mit Imidocarb behandelt wurden. Material und Methoden: Zur Untersuchungen dienten 16 Hunde, aufgeteilt in zwei Gruppen: Die erste Gruppe (n = 6) umfasste gesunde Kontrolltiere, die zweite Gruppe mit B. canis infizierte Hunde (n = 10), die nach Diagnose der Krankheit einmalig Imidocarb in einer Dosis von 5 mg/kg erhielten. Mittels Durchflusszytometrie wurden verschiedene Phänotypen von Immunzellen bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Die Invasion der B.-canis-Protozoen führt zur Reduzierung des prozentualen Anteils an Lymphozyten des Typs CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ und CD21+ im Blut der kranken Tiere im Vergleich zu gesunden Individuen. Das gesunkene Niveau der untersuchten Subpopulationen von Lymphozyten in Gruppe 2 blieb im gesamten 12-tägigen Untersuchungszeitraum konstant. Nach der Verabreichung von Imidocarb stieg der Anteil jeder der untersuchten Lymphozyten-Subpopulationen im Blut der Hunde mit diagnostizierter Babesiose an, wobei keine physiologischen Werte erreicht wurden. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Ausmaß und Dauer des Rückgangs der Krankheitssymptome bei Babesiose mit der Stimulation und Intensität der Widerstandsfähigkeit der CD4-positiven T-Zellen zusammenhängen können. Der Einsatz von Imidocarb beseitigt die Parasitämie und ermöglicht die Erholung der Zellzahl.

Keywords

Babesia canis - dogs - tick-borne disease - hematology - flow cytometry

Schlüsselwörter

Babesia canis - Hunde - Imidocarb - zeckenübertragene Erkrankung - Hämatologie - Durchflusszytometrie

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