Involvement of humoral immune response on development of anemia and quantitative and qualitative platelets disorders in experimental canine ehrlichiosis

Author(s)

Leonardo Pinto Brandão

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2005-07-29

Examining board members

Mitika Kuribayashi Hagiwara; Marcia Mery Kogika; Silvia Regina Ricci Lucas; Marcelo Larami Santoro; Regina Kiomi Takahira

• Advisor: Mitika Kuribayashi Hagiwara

Abstract

In order to determine the involvement of humoral and immune response on development of anemia and quantitative and qualitative platelets disorders in experimental canine ehrlichiosis, seven adult naïve dogs were inoculated with E. canis and followed during 10 weeks. Three dogs were remained as control. Daily clinical evaluation and laboratorial exams (hematological, platelet counts, bone marrow evaluation, biochemistry, erythrocyte osmotic fragility and Coombs? test) polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR), anti-E.canis, antiplatelet and antimegakaryocyte antibodies detection (IFA) and platelet aggregation studies were evaluated at different moments during all the experimental period. Fever, splenomegaly, lymphadenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, non-regenerative anemia and increase on liver?s enzymes serum activity (ALT, AST and ALP) were the main clinical and laboratorial findings observed, with the highest point between days 21 and 28 post-infection. The infected animals showed a decrease in platelet aggregation responses (p<0.05) on days 14, 21, 28 and 35 post-infection and increase of megakaryocytic cells, mainly its precursors (megakaryoblasts and promegakaryocytes) on day 14 post-infection. It weren?t detected any antiplatelet or antimegakaryocyte antibodies, as well as, there were no variations on erythrocyte osmotic fragility and Coombs? tests results, which confirms the absence of immune-mediated hemolysis. It is concluded that the anemia observed during the experimental acute phase of the E. canis infection, with regenerative pattern, even though late, at least in the studied animals, wasn?t related with immune mechanism against the red blood cells, and that, the thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction observed during this phase of the disease don?t seen to be related with immune mechanisms against platelets or its precursors. (AU)