Serum Hepcidin as a Clinical Prognostic Marker to Discriminate the Outcome of Canine Babesiosis

Abstract

Background: We aimed to identify the prognostic value of hepcidin in discriminating against the survival outcome of canine babesiosis. Methods: Semi-nested polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm the presence of infection. Existence of oxidative stress and inflammatory response, changes in systemic iron status and hepcidin level were assessed in the study population. Based on the outcome Babesia infected dogs were classified into survivors (n=18) and non-survivors (n=14) of infection. 32 healthy dogs formed the control group. Conclusion: In non-survivors of infection, serum hepcidin was positively associated with C-reactive protein (P less than 0.01), serum iron (P less than 0.01), transferrin iron-binding capacity (P less than 0.05), unsaturated iron-binding capacity (P less than 0.01), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (P less than 0.05) and negatively associated with catalase (P less than 0.01), zinc (P less than 0.01) and low haemoglobin density (P less than 0.01). The prognostic cut-off value of hepcidin in discriminating the survivability of infected dogs was 32.32 ng/mL with 100.00% specificity and 92.86 % sensitivity. The area under the curve of hepcidin in discriminating survivability was about 0.984 and Youden’s index was 0.928. Hence, hepcidin can predict the survival outcome of the disease enabling intensive care for animals with a cut-off value of hepcidin more than 32.32 ng/mL.

Avaliação da interleucina-6 e do metabolismo do ferro em 20 cães saudáveis

“…Observa-se que o valor mínimo é quatro vezes menor aos encontrados no presente estudo e por Pires et al (2011). Concentrações séricas de ferro igualmente baixas como as referidas por Kaneko et al (2008) foram relatadas por Rajamanickam et al (2021) em cães com babesiose apresentando grave anemia e hipoferremia. Portanto, os valores de referência devem ser utilizados com cautela pois as diferenças encontradas podem influenciar na interpretação dos resultados.…”

“…Apesar das dificuldades relatadas, existem estudos na medicina veterinária que avaliaram o hormônio. Rajamanickam et al (2021), por exemplo, estudaram cães com babesiose e observaram que as concentrações de hepcidina foram significativamente mais elevadas nos cães que morreram quando comparados ao grupo controle. Neste mesmo estudo, as concentrações de ferro sérico foram significativamente mais baixas e a CTLF e a CLLF apresentaram-se significativamente mais altas no grupo de animais que vieram a óbito.…”