A moderate aseptic local inflammation does not induce a significant systemic inflammatory response

Changes in Leukogram and Erythrogram Results in Bitches with Vaginitis

Simple Summary

Inflammatory diseases of the reproductive tract of bitches are a common problem in veterinary practice. Vaginitis, which is an inflammation of the vagina, may have various causes and degrees of severity. The aim of this study was to analyze whether the inflammation of the vagina in dogs causes changes in the parameters of white blood cells (leukogram, which is the percentage of individual types of white blood cells) and red blood cells (erythrogram, changes in the shape of erythrocytes). The obtained results suggest that leukogram and erythrogram analyses may be useful diagnostic tools in veterinary practice.

Abstract

Vaginitis in female dogs is a problem most veterinarians face in their practice. It manifests as localized inflammation, and its variable etiology and different severities often make diagnosis problematic. The study consisted of comparing blood smears taken from 16 animals: 8 healthy bitches and 8 bitches with confirmed vaginitis. We analyzed the percentage of different types of white blood cells (leukogram) and changes in the shape of red blood cells (erythrogram) in both groups. We observed changes in red blood cell morphology, i.e., a higher percentage of lacrimocytes and schistocytes in female dogs with vaginitis compared to their healthy counterparts. The observed hematological changes may illustrate the severity of inflammation. The analysis of erythrograms showed a significantly higher percentage of lacrimocytes and schistocytes in diseased bitches (1.58 ± 1.19% and 0.13 ± 0.12%) compared to healthy animals (0.58 ± 0.38 and 0.00 ± 0.00, respectively). The obtained results may indicate that the analysis of erythrograms throughout the course of vaginitis in bitches may constitute a diagnostic tool, as opposed to the analysis of leukograms, which is more sensitive when it comes to the systemic inflammatory response of the organism. It seems that simultaneous analysis of erythrograms and leukograms may facilitate the diagnostic process in clinical practice.

Characterization and differentiation of equine experimental local and early systemic inflammation by expression responses of inflammation-related genes in peripheral blood leukocytes

Background

Local inflammation may progress into systemic inflammation. To increase our understanding of the basic immunological processes during transition of equine local inflammation into a systemic state, investigation into the equine systemic immune response to local inflammation is warranted. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the innate peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) immune response to local inflammation in horses, and to compare this response with the PBL immune response during the early phase of acute systemic inflammation. Expression of 22 selected inflammation-related genes was measured in whole blood leukocytes from 6 horses in an experimental cross-over model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced acute synovitis (3 μg LPS intraarticularly; locally inflamed [LI] horses) and endotoxemia (1 μg LPS/kg intravenously; systemically inflamed [SI] horses). Multiple clinical and hematological/biochemical examinations were performed, and serial blood samples were analyzed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR. Post-induction expression profiles of all genes were compared between study groups using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering.

Results

Moderate synovitis and mild systemic inflammation of approximately 24 h duration was confirmed by clinical and paraclinical observations in LI and SI horses, respectively. In the LI group, samples obtained 3–16 h post-injection showed distinct clustering in the PCA compared with baseline levels, indicating a transcriptional response to local inflammation in PBLs in this time interval. There was no clinical or hematological indication of actual systemic inflammation. There was a clear separation of all LI samples from all SI samples in two distinct clusters, indicating that expression profiles in the two study groups were different, independent of time since LPS injection. Co-regulated genes formed four clusters across study groups which were distinctly differently regulated. Only few of individual genes displayed different expression between the study groups at all times after LPS injection.

Conclusions

Local inflammation in horses initiated an innate transcriptional response in PBLs, which differed from the transcriptional response during the early phase of systemic inflammation. This study may provide new insights into the immunobiology of PBLs during the transition of local inflammation into a systemic state.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0706-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.