Open AccessNeutrophil Extracellular Traps in Plasma from Dogs with Immune‐mediated Hemolytic Anemia
Author(s) -
Lawson C.,
Smith S.A.,
O'Brien M.,
McMichael M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/jvim.14881
Subject(s) - neutrophil extracellular traps , medicine , immunology , immune system , cell free fetal dna , histone , western blot , inflammation , dna , biology , gene , biochemistry , genetics , pregnancy , fetus , prenatal diagnosis
Background Neutrophil extracellular traps ( NET s) are part of the innate immune response and are essential in local pathogen control, but are associated with pathological inflammation, organ damage, autoimmunity, and thrombosis. Immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia ( IMHA ) is a pro‐inflammatory, prothrombotic disease associated with high mortality. Hypothesis/Objectives Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a feature of the inflammatory process in dogs with IMHA . The objective of the study was to evaluate plasma from dogs with IMHA for the presence of 2 indirect markers and 1 direct marker of NET s. Animals Healthy client‐owned dogs (56) and hospitalized dogs with IMHA (n = 35). Methods Prospective study. Plasma samples for all dogs were evaluated for cell‐free DNA using a fluorescence assay, histone‐ DNA (his DNA ) complex using an ELISA , and citrullinated histone H3 (specific for NET osis) using Western blot. Reference intervals were generated using plasma from healthy dogs. Results In dogs with IMHA , cell‐free DNA concentration was above the reference interval in 17% of samples with a median (range) of 1.0 μg/ mL (0.1–17.3), and his DNA concentration was above the reference interval in 94% of samples with a median (range) of 30.7 × pooled normal plasma ( PNP ; 0.6–372.1). Western blot for citrullinated histone H3 identified detectable bands in 84% samples from dogs with IMHA . Conclusions and Clinical Importance The assay for cell‐free DNA detected evidence of NET s in fewer dogs than did the other approaches. Excessive NET s appears to be a feature of IMHA in dogs and contributions to the prothrombotic state deserve further study.