Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases

Abstract Background Concerns for recrudescence of Ehrlichia canis infection arise when immunosuppressive drugs are used to treat immune‐mediated diseases in dogs previously infected with E. canis. Objectives Determine whether administration of prednisolone and cyclosporine would reactivate E. canis...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Masahiko Sato, Julia K. Veir, Sarah B. Shropshire, Michael R. Lappin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-05-01
Series:Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15750
id doaj-08cdbde262eb4bd8a69e0bf47b450b70
record_format Article
spelling doaj-08cdbde262eb4bd8a69e0bf47b450b702020-11-25T02:53:42ZengWileyJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine0891-66401939-16762020-05-013431214122110.1111/jvim.15750Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phasesMasahiko Sato0Julia K. Veir1Sarah B. Shropshire2Michael R. Lappin3Department of Clinical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USADepartment of Clinical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USADepartment of Clinical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USADepartment of Clinical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USAAbstract Background Concerns for recrudescence of Ehrlichia canis infection arise when immunosuppressive drugs are used to treat immune‐mediated diseases in dogs previously infected with E. canis. Objectives Determine whether administration of prednisolone and cyclosporine would reactivate E. canis infection in dogs previously treated with doxycycline during the acute or subclinical phases. Animals Seven beagles previously experimentally infected with E. canis and administered doxycycline for 4 weeks were included. Three of the 7 dogs were incidentally concurrently infected with Anaplasma platys and Babesia vogeli and were administered 2 doses of imidocarb 2 weeks apart before enrollment in the current study. Methods Experimental study. Each dog was administered prednisolone and cyclosporine for 6 weeks. Clinical signs, complete blood cell count (CBC), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for E. canis, A. platys, and B. vogeli DNA in blood, E. canis indirect fluorescent antibodies (IFA) titers, and flow cytometry for antiplatelet antibodies were monitored. Results All dogs completed the immunosuppressive protocol. No evidence for recrudescence of E. canis, A. platys, or B. vogeli were detected based on clinical signs or results of CBC, PCR, IFA, and flow cytometry for antiplatelet antibodies. E. canis IFA titers were negative in 5/7 dogs at the end of immunosuppressive protocol and were negative 6 months after the protocol in 5/5 dogs available for testing. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Dogs administered with a 4‐week course of doxycycline with or without imidocarb failed to show evidence of activation of E. canis infection after administration of a commonly used immune suppressive protocol.https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15750Anaplasma platysBabesia vogelicyclosporineEhrlichia canisprednisolone
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Masahiko Sato
Julia K. Veir
Sarah B. Shropshire
Michael R. Lappin
spellingShingle Masahiko Sato
Julia K. Veir
Sarah B. Shropshire
Michael R. Lappin
Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Anaplasma platys
Babesia vogeli
cyclosporine
Ehrlichia canis
prednisolone
author_facet Masahiko Sato
Julia K. Veir
Sarah B. Shropshire
Michael R. Lappin
author_sort Masahiko Sato
title Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
title_short Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
title_full Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
title_fullStr Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
title_full_unstemmed Ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
title_sort ehrlichia canis in dogs experimentally infected, treated, and then immune suppressed during the acute or subclinical phases
publisher Wiley
series Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
issn 0891-6640
1939-1676
publishDate 2020-05-01
description Abstract Background Concerns for recrudescence of Ehrlichia canis infection arise when immunosuppressive drugs are used to treat immune‐mediated diseases in dogs previously infected with E. canis. Objectives Determine whether administration of prednisolone and cyclosporine would reactivate E. canis infection in dogs previously treated with doxycycline during the acute or subclinical phases. Animals Seven beagles previously experimentally infected with E. canis and administered doxycycline for 4 weeks were included. Three of the 7 dogs were incidentally concurrently infected with Anaplasma platys and Babesia vogeli and were administered 2 doses of imidocarb 2 weeks apart before enrollment in the current study. Methods Experimental study. Each dog was administered prednisolone and cyclosporine for 6 weeks. Clinical signs, complete blood cell count (CBC), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for E. canis, A. platys, and B. vogeli DNA in blood, E. canis indirect fluorescent antibodies (IFA) titers, and flow cytometry for antiplatelet antibodies were monitored. Results All dogs completed the immunosuppressive protocol. No evidence for recrudescence of E. canis, A. platys, or B. vogeli were detected based on clinical signs or results of CBC, PCR, IFA, and flow cytometry for antiplatelet antibodies. E. canis IFA titers were negative in 5/7 dogs at the end of immunosuppressive protocol and were negative 6 months after the protocol in 5/5 dogs available for testing. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Dogs administered with a 4‐week course of doxycycline with or without imidocarb failed to show evidence of activation of E. canis infection after administration of a commonly used immune suppressive protocol.
topic Anaplasma platys
Babesia vogeli
cyclosporine
Ehrlichia canis
prednisolone
url https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15750
work_keys_str_mv AT masahikosato ehrlichiacanisindogsexperimentallyinfectedtreatedandthenimmunesuppressedduringtheacuteorsubclinicalphases
AT juliakveir ehrlichiacanisindogsexperimentallyinfectedtreatedandthenimmunesuppressedduringtheacuteorsubclinicalphases
AT sarahbshropshire ehrlichiacanisindogsexperimentallyinfectedtreatedandthenimmunesuppressedduringtheacuteorsubclinicalphases
AT michaelrlappin ehrlichiacanisindogsexperimentallyinfectedtreatedandthenimmunesuppressedduringtheacuteorsubclinicalphases
_version_ 1724725049789775872