2015 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

nting feline adipose-derived MSC immunomodulatory properties to treat specific diseases, and gender of donor cat may be significant in this species depending on the desired therapeutic outcome. Infectious pathogens linked to canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) include viral, bacterial, protozoan or rickettsial organisms. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively screen for canine vector borne diseases (CVBD) using serology and PCR methods in IMHA/ITP cases from the Southeastern region of the United States. Archived serum from a population of dogs being tested for tick-borne diseases (IFA for Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia rickettsii, Babesia canis, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella vinsonii subsp berkhoffii, and SNAP Ã’ 4Dx Ã’ for E. canis, Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and D. immitis) from 2008 to 2012 were further characterized by retrospective screening using SNAP Ã’ M-A, an experimental, diagnostic ELISA assay that uses synthetic, species-specific peptides to differentiate between exposure to E. canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. platys and Borrelia burgdorferi. Of the retrospectively screened canine sera, 56 dogs were identified with accessible clinical data, a diagnosis of IMHA and/or ITP, and corresponding stored EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood for retrospective PCR testing. A total of 19/56 (34%) dogs were seroreactive for a CVBD pathogen. SNAP Ã’ M-A identified an additional 7/56 (13%) dogs that were initially non-seroreactive for all pathogens by IFA or SNAP Ã’ 4Dx Ã’ . The most prevalent antibody reactivity was to R. rickettsii antigens 6/56 (11%), followed by B. burgdorferi 5/56 (9%), Anaplasma spp. 5/56 (9%), E. ewingii 5/56 (9%), E. canis 4/56 (7%) E. chaffeensis 4/56 (7%) and B. henselae 1/56 (2%). Only 10/56 (17.8%) dogs were screened for vector-borne pathogens by PCR at initial diagnosis; of those, 6/10 (60%) requested Babesia PCR only; 1/10 (10%) Ehrlichia PCR only; 2/10 Babesia and Ehrlichia PCR; and only 1/10 (10%) requested Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia PCR. Based on PCR results done at the time of diagnosis, only 1/10 (10%) dogs was PCR positive for a vector-borne pathogen (E. ewingii). Retrospective PCR testing, which included RT-PCR assays to detect Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Bartonella spp., Canine Hemotropic Mycoplasma, Ehrlichia spp., Hepatozoon spp., Leishmania spp., Neorickettsia risticii and Rickettsia rickettsia, identified 5/56 (9%) PCR positive dogs, 1/5 (20%) Mycoplasma hemocanis and 4/5 (80%) E. ewingii. These results underscore the importance of a multimodal diagnostic approach to detect tick-borne pathogens and support further evaluation of a potential role for E. ewingii and other CVBD in the pathogenesis of IMHA and ITP in dogs.