Granulocyte function in dogs experimentally infected with a Swedish granulocytic Ehrlichia species

Granulocyte function was studied in six dogs inoculated with a Swedish granulocytic Ehrlichia species and in four control dogs. Whole blood chemiluminescence (CL) was enhanced in the dogs with granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Both CL after stimulation with zymosan and spontaneous CL was significantly increased at peak of infection compared with pre-infection levels. Ingestion of FITC-labelled serum-opsonized yeast cells was high and stable in both groups. The ingestion was lower when the yeast cells were opsonized with anti-yeast IgG. However, there was no difference between groups. The labelling intensity of anti-human CD11b, CD18 and CD32 mAb on the granulocytes in dogs with ehrlichiosis was similar to that in control dogs. The opsonic activity in serum collected at the peak of infection was not different from serum drawn prior to inoculation. Opsonic activity was investigated both by yeast cell ingestion and by chemiluminescence after stimulation with zymosan. The serum from infected dogs enhanced the respiratory burst without stimulation with zymosan of leukocytes from healthy dogs. This suggests that serum at the peak of infection contains granulocyte activators. In this study we found normal phagocytosis together with evidence of enhanced oxidative metabolism in the granulocytes from dogs with granulocytic ehrlichiosis.