Abstract
The purpose of this study is to access the usefulness of haematological parameters in diagnosing of chronic toxoplasmosis in cats. Antibodies of Toxoplasma gondii were detected in 50 cats using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were measured with the cutoff point for T. gondii considered to be 1:64. Fifteen (30%) of the cats were found to be seropositive. No statistically significant difference was found amongst different age groups, but the male cats showed significantly higher antibody titres than female cats. A significant positive correlation was found between IgM and IgG of the cats. Comparison of haematological data between two groups of the cats (IgM <1/64, n = 35; IgM ≥1/64, n = 15) showed that packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and monocyte values in cats with higher IgM titres were significantly higher than cats with lower IgM. It is suggested that in cases with higher values of PCV, RBC and monocyte in routine complete blood count profile of apparently normal cats, toxoplasmosis should be considered. Further studies with more cases are needed to ensure the diagnostic values of these measured parameters.
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The authors are very grateful to E. Golizadeh, A. Safdari and F. Farhangpajooh for their technical assistance.
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Javadi, S., Asri Rezaei, S., Tajik, H. et al. Haematological changes of cats with Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies. Comp Clin Pathol 19, 307–310 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-009-0869-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-009-0869-9