Characterization of serum protein fractions of dogs naturally infected with Ehrlichia canis or Anaplasma platys associated with uveitis.

Uveitis associated with Ehrlichia canis or Anaplasma platys infections were reported in dogs. However, only two E. canis-infected dogs with hypergammaglobulinemia showed acute blindness were reported. There were limited data of the species of Ehrlichia or Anaplasma and the alteration of serum protein fractions in infected dogs. Thus, the species of causative pathogen were investigated and compared the serum protein fractions between infected dogs associated with anterior uveitis and panuveitis in clinical situations. All 103 studied dogs were brought into the ophthalmology clinic which each dog showed signs of unilateral or bilateral uveitis related to ehrlichial infection. Dogs were divided into anterior uveitis and panuveitis groups. The species of Ehrlichia or Anaplasma were identified using nested-PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene and DNA sequencing from blood samples. The serum protein fractions were analyzed using electrophoresis. Fifty-eight dogs (56.31%) were positive of which E. canis and A. platys were detected in 51 and 7 dogs, respectively. The total serum protein and globulin levels were higher in the infected dogs associated with panuveitis than anterior uveitis while the albumin levels were significantly lower in the panuveitis group. The A/G ratios significantly decreased in both groups. Gamma globulin was detected at high levels in both groups while beta globulin significantly increased in the panuveitis group. Hypergammaglobulinemia was detected in 76.92 and 90.90% of infected dogs associated with anterior uveitis and panuveitis, respectively. Most of the infected dogs associated with panuveitis showed significantly levels of hyperproteinemia, hyperbetaglobulinemia and hypergammaglobulinemia compared with anterior uveitis group. E. canis was found as the major pathogen in infected dogs associated with uveitis in this study.

Characterization of serum protein fractions of dogs naturally infected with Ehrlichia canis or Anaplasma platys associated with uveitis

@#Uveitis associated with Ehrlichia canis or Anaplasma platys infections were reported in dogs. However, only two E. canis-infected dogs with hypergammaglobulinemia showed acute blindness were reported. There were limited data of the species of Ehrlichia or Anaplasma and the alteration of serum protein fractions in infected dogs. Thus, the species of causative pathogen were investigated and compared the serum protein fractions between infected dogs associated with anterior uveitis and panuveitis in clinical situations. All 103 studied dogs were brought into the ophthalmology clinic which each dog showed signs of unilateral or bilateral uveitis related to ehrlichial infection. Dogs were divided into anterior uveitis and panuveitis groups. The species of Ehrlichia or Anaplasma were identified using nested-PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene and DNA sequencing from blood samples. The serum protein fractions were analyzed using electrophoresis. Fifty-eight dogs (56.31%) were positive of which E. canis and A. platys were detected in 51 and 7 dogs, respectively. The total serum protein and globulin levels were higher in the infected dogs associated with panuveitis than anterior uveitis while the albumin levels were significantly lower in the panuveitis group. The A/G ratios significantly decreased in both groups. Gamma globulin was detected at high levels in both groups while beta globulin significantly increased in the panuveitis group. Hypergammaglobulinemia was detected in 76.92 and 90.90% of infected dogs associated with anterior uveitis and panuveitis, respectively. Most of the infected dogs associated with panuveitis showed significantly levels of hyperproteinemia, hyperbetaglobulinemia and hypergammaglobulinemia compared with anterior uveitis group. E. canis was found as the major pathogen in infected dogs associated with uveitis in this study.

Seroprevalence of Leishmania infection in domestic animals in Songkhla and Satun provinces, southern Thailand.

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease that is a major public health problem in tropical countries caused by flagellate protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Domestic animals and wild rodents have been reported as natural reservoir hosts. Thailand is a non-endemic area for leishmaniasis but human cases have been reported sporadically, particularly in southern Thailand. The objective of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of Leishmania infection in domestic animals in southern Thailand. Blood samples from 519 dogs, 250 cats, 113 rats, 19 shrews, 125 cattle, 95 buffaloes and spleen samples from 45 rats and 19 shrews were collected in Songkhla and Satun provinces. Seroreactivity to the Direct Agglutination Test (DAT) was found in 2.7% (14/519) of the dogs while 5.6% (14/250) of the cats were positive using ELISA. There were significant differences between positive samples based on adult age group in dogs and cats (χ2= 5.396, P= 0.020, χ2= 8.304, P = 0.004, respectively) and for the outdoor group in cats (χ2= 6.956, P= 0.008). The results found low seroprevalence of Leishmania infection in both dogs and cats, but they could be natural reservoir hosts for leishmaniasis in southern Thailand.

Thrombocytopenia and anemia related to retinal detachment in dogs infected with Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys.

In Thailand, five species of Ehrlichia (E. canis, E. chaffeensis, E. equi, E. risticii and Anaplasma platys) have been reported to infect dogs. Although ehrlichial infections can cause ocular disorders, the severity and type of ocular disorder varies between individual infected dogs. The aims of this study were to determine the factors associated with retinal detachment and to investigate the species of Ehrlichia that cause ocular disorders in natural infected dogs. In the present study, ocular examination, complete blood count and total protein measurement were performed in 134 dogs brought into an ophthalmology clinic. A 310 bp fragment of the Ehrlichia 16s rRNA gene was amplified by nested-PCR and direct DNA sequenced. Thirty-eight of these dogs were found to be positive for Ehrlichia 16s rRNA, of which the sequence analysis suggested 34 and 4 dogs were infected with E. canis and A. platys, respectively, with no multiple infections or other Ehrlichia species detected. The most common ocular disorders in dogs infected with E. canis were blindness, keratoconjunctivitis sicca and retinal detachment, while blindness and retinal detachment were found in A. platys-infected dogs. Hematological disorders were found anemia, thrombocytopenia and hyperproteinemia. Odd ratio analysis showed that thrombocytopenia and anemia were likely important factors for increasing retinal detachment risk. In this study, only E. canis and A. platys closely relate to be causative agents of ocular disorders in infected dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of A. platys as a causative pathogen of both anterior and posterior uveitis in clinical situations.