Major proinflammatory cytokine responses in proegnant sows after experimental infection with trypanosoma evansi

Abstract

In Thailand, trypanosomiasis or surra outbreaks in pigs has been reported throughout Thailand with varying clinical manifestations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate levels of proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and prostaglandin (PGE₂, PGF₂α) response, clinical and clinico-pathology in pregnant sows after experimental infection with T. evansi. In the present study, infected sows showed clinical and clinico-pathology signs including abortion, fever, petechial and plaque haemorrhage, skin rash, anaemia, monocytosis and elevation of AST and ALT enzymes. The results demonstrated that transplacental transmission is another route of T. evansi from sows to their fetuses. However, the data on the levels of proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) response could not differentiated between trypanosomes infected sows and control sows. In the present study, the alteration of PGE₂ and PGF₂α in experimental sows showed no significative correlation with clinical signs such as fever and abortion. Whereas, the results of CATT/T. evansi, Ab-ELISA/T. evansi and PCR diagnosis were confirmed parasitologically positive in all infected sows. To summary, this study indicated that parasitaemia, clinico-pathological signs, serological assays and PCR method are the gold standard for the diagnosis of surra in pigs.