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Cytokine Gene Expression by Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in Dogs Experimentally Infected with a New Virulent Strain of Ehrlichia canis
Author(s) -
UNVER AHMET,
HUANG HAIBIN,
RIKIHISA YASUKO
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1374.090
Subject(s) - ehrlichia canis , peripheral blood , virulence , ehrlichia , virology , ehrlichiosis , strain (injury) , immunology , cytokine , biology , gene , medicine , antibody , genetics , serology , tick , anatomy
Ehrlichia canis (E. canis) is a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐deficient obligatory intracellular bacterium that causes canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, a chronic febrile disease accompanied with hematological abnormality. This study analyzed temporal expression levels of IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐8, IFN‐γ, and TNF‐α mRNA by peripheral blood leukocytes from dogs experimentally infected with a new virulent strain of E. canis by using real‐time RT‐PCR. Relative levels of IL‐1β and IL‐8 transcripts normalized by the β‐actin transcript levels, were significantly upregulated, whereas those of TNF‐α and IFN‐γ transcripts were only weakly upregulated in all three infected dogs, starting from 2 days up to 52 days post inoculation. The expressions of IL‐2 and IL‐6 genes were extremely low compared with the positive control (ConA‐stimulated canine peripheral blood leukocytes). This study showed that E. canis can induce chronic expression of a subset of proinflammatory cytokine genes: balance, timing, and duration of these cytokine generations may contribute to the progression of canine ehrlichiosis.