Immunophenotypical and pathological changes in dogs experimentally infected with Ehrlichia canis

• Published in: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria Vol. 31; no. 2; p. e021621
• Main Authors: Castro, Márcio Botelho de, Szabó, Matias Pablo Juan, Aquino, Lucia Padilha Cury Thomaz de, Dagnoni, Ana Silvia, Alessi, Antonio Carlos, Costa, Mirela Tinucci, Nakaghi, Andréa Cristina Higa, Santi, Mariele De, Calchi, Ana Claúdia, André, Marcos Rogério, Machado, Rosangela Zacarias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária 01.01.2022; Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
• Subjects: Animals; canine; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Ehrlichia canis; Ehrlichiosis - veterinary; immunity; infection; Monocytic ehrlichiosis; Original; PARASITOLOGY; Spleen; tick-borne disease; Tick-Borne Diseases - veterinary; VETERINARY SCIENCES; Monocytic ehrlichiosis; canino; infection; infecção; tick-borne disease; canine; immunity; Erliquiose monocítica; imunidade; doença veiculada por carrapatos
• ISSN: 0103-846X; 1984-2961; 1984-2961
• DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612022020

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is one of the most important tick-borne diseases worldwide, with multisystemic presentations. Immune dysregulation has been proposed as the primary mechanism involved in its pathogenesis and in tissue injury in dogs with CME. Experimental infection of German Shepherd dogs in the present study demonstrated that CME caused marked pathological changes in their lymph nodes and spleen, and also gave rise to mononuclear infiltration in organs and tissues. Immunophenotyping of cells in lymph nodes, spleen and injured tissues highlighted differences in lymphocyte subsets, local expression of immunoglobulin subclasses and MHCII molecules between infected and control dogs. These findings suggest that the immunophenotypic and immunopathological changes in dogs with acute experimental CME are related to Th1 bias and compartmentalized immune response.