S. Harrus et al., KINETICS OF SERUM ANTIPLATELET ANTIBODIES IN EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE CANINE EHRLICHIOSIS, Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 51(1-2), 1996, pp. 13-20
The pattern of appearance of serum antiplatelet antibodies during the
acute phase of experimental canine ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis) was
investigated in six beagles and correlated with the development of thr
ombocytopenia. The earliest detection of serum antiplatelet antibodies
was made on Day 7 post-inoculation in one dog, on Day 13 in three out
of six dogs, and on Day 17 post-inoculation in the remaining two dogs
, Thrombocytopenia developed in all infected dogs, The results of this
study suggest that antiplatelet antibodies play a role in the destruc
tion of platelets in the acute phase of the disease. It is proposed th
at E. canis infection in dogs alters the immune system resulting in th
e overproduction of natural antiplatelet antibodies.