title: Evaluation of lymphocyte populations in dogs naturally infected by Ehrlichia canis with and without clinical signs.
abstract: Immune response elicited by the host during ehrlichial infections could influence the clinical signs and laboratory and pathological findings. Twenty-eight dogs naturally infected by Ehrlichia canis were included in this study. Twenty of them presented only laboratory findings traditionally associated with canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), whilst 8 dogs also showed clinical signs classically associated with CME (pale mucous membranes, fever, lymphadenopathy, weight loss, anorexia, lethargy or signs attributable to bleeding tendencies). A multiparametric flow cytometric study was performed to analyze the distribution of the main lymphocyte subsets (T, Th, Tc, B, and those that express MHC class II) in the peripheral blood. Statistically significant differences between dogs naturally infected by E. canis in a clinical or subclinical stage were not detected when evaluating lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood samples. Dogs with clinical signs showed lower relative and absolute values of B lymphocytes than dogs without clinical signs, although the differences were not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Avda Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain. alejandrav@vet.ucm.es
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villaescusa
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tesouro
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Sancho
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ayllón
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Franco
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sainz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D041061:Ehrlichia canis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male