Abstract
This study was carried out to reveal the importance of procalcitonin, C reactive protein, nitric oxide levels, and adenosine deaminase activity in the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease in naturally infected sheep with Babesia ovis. Thirty sheep diagnosed clinically and parasitologically as having Babesia ovis were allocated to 2 groups. The first group was treated only with imidocarp dipropionate and the second group with imidocarp dipropionate and flunixine meglumin. On the seventh day after treatment, blood samples were collected again from the sheep in the babesiosis-infected group and the treatment responses were assessed. Serum PCT (1.72 ± 0.34 ng/mL, P < 0.01), CRP (101.42 ± 11.73 µg/mL, P < 0.001), NO (15.77 ± 2.75 µmol/L, P < 0.01), and ADA (13.92 ± 0.88 IU/L, P < 0.01) were higher in sheep with babesiosis than in the healthy sheep (0.49 ± 0.04 ng/mL, 49.46 ± 4.57 µg/mL, 8.15 ± 0.63 µmol/L, 9.34 ± 1.19 IU/L, respectively). When PCT, CRP, NO, and ADA before treatment and after treatment in the infected sheep were compared, the levels of these parameters except for ADA in the second group were determined to have statistically decreased after the treatment. As a result, it has been concluded that the measurements of PCT, CRP, NO, and ADA in sheep with babesiosis may be useful for the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease when assessed in association with clinical examination.
Highlights
Babesiosis is a hemoparasitic disease transmitted by ticks and it causes significant economic losses [1]
Anemia, hepatitis, and hemoglobinuria are observed in Babesia ovis infection, and it can result in death in certain cases [3]
PCT, NO, CRP, and ADA results PCT, NO, and CRP levels and ADA activity were found to be higher in sheep with before the treatment (BT) babesiosis than in healthy sheep, and this value was found to be statistically significant. (Table 1)
Summary
Babesiosis is a hemoparasitic disease transmitted by ticks and it causes significant economic losses [1]. Procalcitonin (PCT) is a prohormone of the hormone calcitonin. It is composed of 116 amino acids and lacks hormonal activity [4,5]. In the presence of a microbial infection, CALC-1 gene expression is increased, which triggers PCT production in all parenchymal tissues (including liver, lung, kidney, adipocytes, and muscle) and differentiated cells in the body [11]. Significant differences in PCT levels were found between healthy dogs and dogs with babesiosis [13]. It is stated that PCT has a diagnostic and prognostic value, and may help to assess therapeutic efficacy, as it increases in accordance with the severity of the inflammatory response to the infection [4]. Unlike PCT, CRP levels can increase in slight inflammatory reactions and viral infections [15]
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