Cytologic and cytochemical study of medullar iron in dog with leishmaniasis and its relation with blood and serum parameters

Anaemia is one of the most important signs in canine leishmaniasis, the bon e marrow being the site where the parasite reproduces. The myelogram and a cytochemical study of iron in the bone marrow together with some biochemica l and haematological parameters were performed in order to evaluate the fun ction of the bane marrow in dogs with leishmaniasis. A decrease of erythroi d series, an increase of segmented neutrophils and, in a high percentage of cases, of lymphocytes and macrophages, and the presence of granulomas in 8 7 % of the animals were the most remarkable results. According to the corre lations obtained, the number of parasites plays an important role in the in crease of some cellular types, such as macrophages, and in the development of granulomas (a higher number of parasites would produce higher numbers of macrophages and granulomas), but its effect on the erythroid series is neg ative (higher number of parasites would reduce the cellular types of the er ythroid series). The study of the medullar iron revealed a decrease of side roblasts and an increase of ring sideroblasts and iron stores. BUN (blood u rea nitrogen), creatinine and total proteins in serum also increased, but a non regenerative anaemia was observed in 55 % of the animals. An inflammatory response, together with erythroid hypoplasia and lesser ava ilability of iron seem to be the most remarkable changes in the bone marrow of dogs with leishmaniasis. All these findings typify a non regenerative a naemia of inflammatory origin.