Kinetics of the inflammatory response during experimental Babesia rossi infection of beagle dogs

B K Atkinson; P Thompson; E Van Zyl; A Goddard; Y Rautenbach; J P Schoeman; V Mukorera; A Leisewitz

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109717

Kinetics of the inflammatory response during experimental Babesia rossi infection of beagle dogs

Vet Parasitol. 2022 Jun:306:109717. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109717. Epub 2022 May 12.

Authors

B K Atkinson¹, P Thompson², E Van Zyl³, A Goddard³, Y Rautenbach³, J P Schoeman³, V Mukorera³, A Leisewitz³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. Electronic address: u27102093@tuks.co.za.
² Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
³ Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.

PMID: 35606218
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109717

Abstract

Babesia rossi causes severe morbidity and mortality in dogs in sub-Saharan Africa, and the complications associated with this disease are likely caused by an unfocused, excessive inflammatory response. During this experimental B. rossi study we investigated inflammatory marker and cytokine kinetics during infection and after treatment. We aimed to determine whether infectious dose and treatment would influence the progression of the inflammatory response and clinical disease. Six healthy male beagle dogs formed the study population, one was used to raise the infectious inoculum, three were administered a high B. rossi infectious dose (HD group) and two a low infectious dose (LD group). Clinical examination, complete blood count (CBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined daily. Cytokines were quantified on stored plasma collected during the study, using a canine specific cytokine magnetic bead panel (Milliplex©). The experiment was terminated and treatment administered when predetermined experimental or humane endpoints were reached. Parasitemia occurred on day 1 and 3 in the HD and LD groups respectively. The rate of increase in parasitemia in the HD group was significantly faster than that seen in the LD group. Significant differences were found in heart rate, blood pressure, interferon gamma (INFγ), keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), INFγ-induced protein 10 (IP10), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10 IL-15, IL-18, CRP, neutrophils and monocytes between groups at multiple time points during the course of the infection. Our findings suggest that the initiation of inflammation occurs before the onset of clinical disease in B. rossi infection and infectious dose influences the onset of the inflammatory response. Treatment enhances the inflammatory response in the immediate post-treatment period which may contribute to disease associated complications. Finally, we found that there is an imbalance in pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations during infection which may promote parasite replication.

Keywords: Babesia rossi; Cytokines; Influence of treatment; Inoculum dose; Markers of inflammation.

MeSH terms

Animals
Babesia*
Babesiosis* / parasitology
Cytokines
Dog Diseases* / parasitology
Dogs
Kinetics
Male
Parasitemia / veterinary

Substances

Cytokines