Clinical and Clinico-Pathological Observations of the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in Dogs Affected by Leishmaniosis and Other Inflammatory Diseases.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) has been used in canine medicine in several disorders, above all, to evaluate levels of inflammation. This study evaluated the ESR in canine leishmaniosis (CanL) and other inflammatory conditions. Three groups of dogs were examined: CanL affected dogs without clinical signs (INFECTED group, #25) or with clinical signs (SICK group, #43) and dogs affected by acute or acute-on-chronic conditions (OTHER DISEASE group, #65). The ESR was compared with acute phase proteins or reactants either positive or negative (leukogram, fibrinogen, iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, ferritin, haptoglobin, and albumin) and immunological markers (gamma-globulins, IgG, and IgM). The ESR was higher in the SICK group than in the INFECTED group (median 39 vs. 11 mm/h; p < 0.0001), as well as in the OTHER DISEASE than in the INFECTED groups (median 41 vs. 11 mm/h; p < 0.0001). The ESR appeared outside the reference range for all dogs in the SICK and OTHER DISEASE groups and almost with similar values (mm/h; median 39, 95% CI 31-51 vs. 41, 95% CI 12-87; p > 0.05). The extent of changes in ESR can help to establish the severity of CanL and other inflammatory disorders. As a point-of-care test, the ESR can be used to screen dogs for unhealthy conditions, and its values correlate with the severity of any disease, including CanL.

Systemic hypertension in dogs with leishmaniasis: prevalence and clinical consequences.

A prospective study was performed (November 1998 to December 2003) to determine the prevalence of systemic hypertension (SH) in dogs with glomerular disease secondary to leishmaniasis. One hundred and five dogs with leishmaniasis were screened and staged for the presence of renal disease (RD) and SH. For the purpose of the study, RD was defined as serum creatinine concentration > or = 1.4 mg/dL, a urine protein/creatinine ratio > or = 0.5, or both. SH was defined as a systolic blood pressure (SBP) > or =180 mm Hg or an SBP between 150 and 179 mm Hg in the presence of clinical manifestations of SH. Fifty-two (49.5%) of the dogs had some degree of RD, and 32 (61.5%) of these dogs were diagnosed with SH. Moreover, SH also was diagnosed in 3 dogs without RD. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), estimated by echocardiography, was the most frequently observed systemic consequence of hypertension, being present in 32 (91.4%) of the hypertensive dogs. Echocardiographic abnormalities were not detected in any of the 33 dogs with leishmaniasis without RD, which were used as controls. Ocular consequences of SH were observed in only 2 (5.7%) of the dogs with hypertension. We conclude that SH is prevalent in dogs with RD secondary to leishmaniasis, not only in the more severe stages but also in the early course of the illness before azotemia becomes apparent. Canine leishmaniasis may be a useful natural model to study SH secondary to glomerular disease.

Initial and long-term efficacy of a lipid emulsion of amphotericin B desoxycholate in the management of canine leishmaniasis.

Sixteen dogs in which canine leishmaniasis (CL) was diagnosed by positive identification of Leishmania amastigotes in bone marrow samples were treated with a mixture of amphotericin B (AmB) desoxycholate in soybean oil. To prevent the toxicity of AmB, dogs were pretreated with saline (50 mL/kg) and mannitol (2 g/kg). Dogs were treated twice weekly with an increasing dosage of amphotericin (0.8-2.5 mg/kg) for between 8 and 10 sessions. Transient adverse effects (anorexia, vomiting, or both) appeared in 81% of the dogs during therapy. At the end of the course, all dogs were clinically cured, with no parasites observed in bone marrow smears. Six of the 16 dogs (38%) were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in bone marrow samples at some stage of their follow-up, but only 2 were positive at the first test after treatment, which was performed within 5 months after the end of the therapy. The other 4 dogs were initially negative and became PCR-positive at subsequent examinations. Three of these 6 dogs also experienced a clinical relapse. Four dogs had at least 3 consecutive negative PCR tests during a minimum period of 18 months and were clinically cured. The results of the present study indicate that despite having a high initial effectiveness in the treatment of CL, relapses can occur with the described protocol. Also, a single negative PCR result in a recently treated dog cannot be interpreted as a complete cure.