Synovial Lesions in Experimental Canine Lyme Borreliosis

• Published in: Veterinary pathology Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 453 - 461
• Main Authors: Susta, L., Uhl, E. W., Grosenbaugh, D. A., Krimer, P. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Animals; Beagle; blood; Blood Cell Count; Blood Cell Count - veterinary; Borrelia burgdorferi; cell biology; Creatine; Creatine - urine; diagnosis; Dog Diseases; Dog Diseases - diagnosis; Dog Diseases - microbiology; Dog Diseases - pathology; Dogs; elbows; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Histological Techniques; Histological Techniques - veterinary; Ixodes; Ixodes - microbiology; Ixodes scapularis; Ixodidae; lameness; Likelihood Functions; Lyme disease; Lyme Disease - diagnosis; Lyme Disease - pathology; Lyme Disease - veterinary; lymph nodes; medicine; microbiology; pathology; polymerase chain reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Synovial Membrane; Synovial Membrane - microbiology; Synovial Membrane - pathology; ticks; urinalysis; urine; veterinary; molecular biology; Lyme disease; bacterial; laboratory medicine; clinical pathology; musculoskeletal; dog
• ISSN: 0300-9858; 1544-2217; 1544-2217
• DOI: 10.1177/0300985811424754

Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, which is mainly characterized by lameness in dogs. More than 95% of naturally infected dogs are asymptomatic or subclinical; however, in experimental studies, histologic synovial lesions are consistently observed in asymptomatic dogs inoculated with B. burdgorferi. This study investigates the ability of a synovial histopathologic scoring system, clinicopathologic data, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to differentiate between B. burgdorferi–infected and uninfected dogs. Eighteen 18-week-old beagles were subject to challenge with B. burgdorferi–infected wild-caught ticks (Ixodes scapularis), and 4 uninfected dogs served as controls. Infection was confirmed by serology (ELISA) and PCR amplification of B. burgdorferi–specific DNA of skin biopsies taken at the tick attachment site. A synovial scoring system from human medicine was adapted and implemented on postmortem synovial samples to discriminate infected and noninfected animals. Application of this system to elbows and stifles with a cumulative joint score cutoff  > 4 showed a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 100%, with a positive likelihood ratio of infinity and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.12. Complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, urine protein:creatinine, urine PCR, synovial and lymph node cytology, and synovial PCR were evaluated but were not reliable indicators of clinical disease.