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Disease severity and blood cytokine concentrations in dogs with natural Babesia rossi infection
Author(s) -
Leisewitz Andrew,
Goddard Amelia,
De Gier Jill,
Van Engelshoven Jessica,
Clift Sarah,
Thompson Peter,
Schoeman Johan P.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/pim.12630
Subject(s) - cytokine , disease , cytokine storm , immunology , biology , babesiosis , sepsis , interleukin 10 , interleukin 6 , medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , virology , covid-19
Aims Babesia rossi causes severe disease in dogs. Here, we describe the association between serum cytokine concentrations and disease severity. Methods Seventeen controls and 55 PCR confirmed B rossi ‐infected dogs were included. Diseased dogs were subdivided into 23 critically ill and 32 relatively well cases. Serum concentrations of 11 cytokines and biochemical markers of disease severity were determined. Results Significant differences were detected for IL ‐6, IL ‐8, IL ‐10, MCP ‐1 and TNF ‐α between the groups. Generally, the more complicated the disease , the more pro‐inflammatory the cytokine milieu. IL ‐8 showed a reverse trend and was negatively correlated with disease severity. IL ‐6, MCP ‐1 and TNF ‐α were also significantly higher in the dogs that died (n = 9) compared to the dogs that survived (n = 46). IL ‐8 showed the opposite. MCP ‐1 and TNF ‐α were negatively correlated with biochemical markers of severity. Glucose was negatively correlated with IL ‐6. Cortisol, peripheral parasite density and band neutrophil count were positively correlated, whilst thyroid hormone was negatively correlated with IL ‐6, MCP ‐1 and TNF ‐α. Conclusions As in malaria and sepsis, B rossi infection induces a pro‐inflammatory cytokine storm that correlates with disease severity and adverse outcome. The multiplicity of cytokines involved argues for redundancy in the system once the disease is established.