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Short Communication · Volume 3, Issue 4, Pages 200–206, 11 March 2015 · Open Access

Hemato-biochemical and Serum Iron Profile Study in Dogs with Hemoprotozoal Infection

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Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Published:
11 March 2015
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From the article

  • The use of serum iron profile as a routine parameter is limited for assessment of anaemia in dogs.
  • Statistical significant difference (P≤ 0 .05) was found between the serum iron parameter and non-significant difference between serum TIBC and %TSAT.
  • Keywords | Anaemia, Serum iron, Serum total iron binding capacity, Percent transferrin saturation, Dogs.
  • The results showed alterations in the hemato-biochemical and serum iron profile parameters when compared to the control group suggesting the presence of anemia with disturbance in the iron metabolism.

Selected from the article's own text.

Abstract

Jithin Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan*, Dighe Dhananjay Govind, Velhankar Rajendra Dattatray, Keskar Dattatray Venkatesh

Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Ethics and Jurisprudence, Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, Mumbai-400012, India.

*Correspondence | Jithin Mullakkalparambil Velayudhan, Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, Mumbai, India; Email: mvjithin1988@gmail.com

Abstract
Iron is an essential mineral for all living organisms and is integral to multiple metabolic functions. The most important function being oxygen transport in haemoglobin. The use of serum iron profile as a routine parameter is limited for assessment of anaemia in dogs. The present study was carried out in anaemic dogs with hemoprotozoal infection (n=6) to observe the type of iron metabolism disturbance that occur.. The mean ± standard error (SE) of serum iron analysts [serum iron, serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and percent transferrin saturation (%TSAT)] were measured by calorimetric analyser to estimate the iron profile status in anaemic dogs. Statistical significant difference (P≤ 0 .05) was found between the serum iron parameter and non-significant difference between serum TIBC and %TSAT. The alteration in iron profile observed was similar to anaemia of inflammatory disease which also provided a conclusion regarding the therapeutic approach to be followed for the occurred iron metabolism disturbance.

Keywords | Anaemia, Serum iron, Serum total iron binding capacity, Percent transferrin saturation, Dogs

*Significant (P ≤ 0.05) at t-crit (2.06)

Table 2: Mean ±SE value of serum iron profile of apparently healthy and anaemic dogs

Parameters

Control group

Clinical cases

Serum iron (µg/dl)

141.83 ± 7.91

109.32 ± 22.96*

Serum TIBC (µg/dl)

319.33 ± 31.89

239.3 ± 34.99 NS

TSAT (%)

47.53 ± 6.54

50.47 ± 9.79 NS

*Significant (P ≤ 0.05) at t-crit (2.06); NS- Non Significant

Table 3: Mean ± SE values of CBC in clinical cases before and after treatment

Parameters

Before treatment

After Treatment

t-stat

t-crit

Hb (g %)

7.10 ± 1.09

9.15 ± 1.04

4.77*

2.57

T.E.C (×106/µl)

2.92 ± 0.45

4.25 ± 0.29

5.81*

PCV (%)

22.40 ± 3.01

28.92 ± 3.53

4.07*

WBC (×103/µl)

10250 ± 1061.68

12400 ± 3023.91

0.83

Reticulocyte count (%)

1.17 ± 0.17

2.17 ± 0.28

4.47*

Platelets (×105/µl)

132000 ± 17970.35

185333.3 ± 18895.62

3.69*

MCV(fL)

79.92 ± 4.33

67.37 ± 6.14

1.70

MCH(pg)

24.77 ± 1.36

20.86 ± 1.42

4.64*

MCHC(g/dl)

31.12 ± 1.24

31.81 ± 0.71

0.38

* Significant (P ≤ 0.05)

Table 4: Mean ± SE values of LFT in clinical cases before and after treatment

Parameters

Before treatment

After treatment

t-stat

t-crit

T.B.(mg/dl)

0.80 ± 0.11

0.45 ± 0.03

2.99*

2.57

D.B.(mg/dl)

0.40 ± 0.10

0.2 ± 0.05

1.88

I.B.(mg/dl)

0.40 ± 0.06

0.23 ± 0.03

3.96*

SGPT(IU/L)

101.89 ± 25.91

72.17 ± 6.14

1.31

SGOT(IU/L)

137.98 ± 60.32

102.59 ± 16.79

0.78

ALP(IU/L)

179.6 ± 71.07

209.27 ± 29.59

0.60

TP(g/dl)

6.91 ± 0.46

7.10 ± 0.53

0.65

Albumin(g/dl)

1.89 ± 0.31

2.37 ± 0.27

4.25*

Globulin(g/dl)

5.01 ± 0.32

4.57 ± 0.28

1.82

A/G ratio

0.37 ± 0.07

0.52 ± 0.06

5.13*

*Significant (P ≤ 0.05)

Table 2 depicts the serum iron profile between the control group and clinical cases and it showed statistical significant difference between the serum iron parameter and non-significant difference between serum TIBC and %TSAT. There was also a decrease in serum TIBC levels compared to the control group.

The affected cases were therapeutically managed as per the standard line of treatment. Cases with E. canis were treated with Doxycycline @ 5mg/kg B.W. for 15 days and cases with Trypanosoma sp. evansi infection were treated with Triquin (Quinapyramine Sulphate and chloride) at 0.025ml/kg B.W. once. No adverse outcomes were observed from the cases during the therapy. The hemato-biochemical and serum iron profile parameters were re-evaluated in the affected cases after clinically recovery and is summarized in Table 3, 4, 5 and 6. Statistical significant difference was observed in Hb, TEC, PCV, reticulocyte count, platelet count, MCH, TB, IB, Albumin, A/G ratio, BUN, urea and creatinine parameters after therapeutic intervention. Among the serum iron profile, statistical significant difference was observed in serum iron parameters.

The clinical findings were in accordance as observed by Harrus et al. (1997), Harrus et al. (1998) and Warner and Harrus (2000). The results showed alterations in the hemato-biochemical and serum iron profile parameters when compared to the control group suggesting the presence of anemia with disturbance in the iron metabolism.

Giger (2005) came up with the opinion that low values of Hb, TEC and PCV in the cases may be attributed to deficiency of iron, destruction of red blood corpuscles and/or excess blood loss and reduced erythropoietic activity. Waner (2008) also stated that anaemia in Ehrlichia sp. infection is attributed to direct effect of the organism on the red blood cells. Aquino et al. (2002) and Abenga et al. (2005) also reported low PCV, Hb, and RBC in Trypanosoma infections. There was also leucopenia, neutropenia and lymphopenia in the affected animals which coincided with the findings of Warner and Harrus (2000). The alterations in the T.P., Albumin, A/G ratio was reported by Supriya et al. (2011) in clinical case with ehrlichiosis. There was also alteration in AST, ALT, ALP and hyperbilirubinemia and it was either due to secondary to hyperglobulinemia as a compensatory mechanism for the maintenance of normal blood viscosity increased by high globulin levels or due to increase in the immunoglobulin levels as a result of the hemoprotozoal infection (Aquino et al., 2001).

Table 5: Mean ± SE values of KFT in clinical cases before and after treatment

Parameters

Before Treatment

After Treatment

t-stat

t-crit

BUN (mg/dl)

22.25 ± 5.95

10.56 ± 1.76

2.72*

2.57

Creatinine

(mg/dl)

1.26 ± 0.13

0.89 ± 0.10

2.74*

Urea

(mg/dl)

47.68 ± 12.73

22.62 ± 3.77

2.72*

*Significant (P ≤ 0.05)

Table 6: Mean ± SE values of serum iron profile in anemic cases before and after treatment

Parameters

Before treatment

After treatment

t-stat

t- crit

S. iron (µg/dl)

109.32 ± 22.96

124.18 ± 25.47

3.33*

2.57

S. TIBC (µg/dl)

293.30 ± 34.99

253.20 ± 31.54

1.78

TSAT (%)

50.47 ± 9.79

52.69 ± 9.792

1.44

*Significant (P ≤ 0.05)

Serum iron and TIBC were lower than the control group, suggesting that iron metabolism disturbance does occur in hemoprotozoal infection and the disturbance is of the order seen in anemia due to inflammatory disease (Lillihook et al., 1998 and Furnanello et al., 2005). These lower levels are due to iron retention within macrophages resulting from increased uptake of iron by different pathways as well as inhibition of iron recycling by blockage of iron export and can be accredited as defence mechanism of body against infection to withhold iron utilization by the invading microbes for their growth and . Kelly et al. (2013) observed microcytic anaemia as the cellular changes in dogs affected with ehrlichiosis. Silva et al. (1995) and Gunaseelan et al. (2009) reported the presence of microcytic hypochromic cellular changes in dogs affected with Trypanosoma evansi. The prominent cellular changes observed in our study showed microcytosis and hypochromasia and is in accordance with the opinion of the above mentioned authors. The reason for the microcytosis in some dogs has been proposed to be associated with chronic inflammatory disease as a result of prolonged sequestration of storage iron and microcytosis has been reported in many different types of inflammatory disease in dogs, including gastrointestinal, infectious, respiratory and skin disease .

Use of Doxycycline and Triquin (quinapyramine sulphate and chloride) for ehrlichiosis and trypanosomiosis, respectively, for therapy was followed by Mylonakis et al. (2011) and Juyal (2011). The significant changes on the post treatment levels on the parameters can be attributed due to the etiological specific therapy this also resulted in restoration of levels of serum iron analytes to normal without any exogenous use of iron supplementation.

In conclusion the results from this study, hemoprotozoal diseases will result in disturbance of iron metabolism subsequently leading to anaemia. The characteristics of the iron metabolism disturbance in present study were analogous to anaemia of inflammatory diseases. From the above iron disturbances observed in the study it can also be inferred that therapy should not involve exogenous iron administration since it may lead to aggravation of the existing infection through microbial utilization of iron. Hence serum iron profile studies indeed are a valuable aid in the diagnosis of iron metabolism disturbances and should be included as a routine diagnostic parameter in the anaemic dogs.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There is no conflict of interest among all or any of the authors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We thank the Associate Dean, Bombay Veterinary College for providing the necessary facility required for the study.

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Hemato-biochemical and Serum Iron Profile Study in Dogs with Hemoprotozoal Infection · ResearchersLinks