Canine Toxoplasmosis: Cytokine Profile in Seropositive Stray Dogs

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite that may cause devastating conditions in animals, including humans. Dogs are the main host of T. gondii; however, little information is available on the cytokine expression profile in T. gondii–seropositive dogs. The present study aims to evaluate the levels of certain cytokines in serum collected from T. gondii–seropositive stray dogs. With a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, we investigated the presence of antibodies for T. gondii in stray dogs in Hefei, Anhui, P. R. China, and found 26 of those tested were seropositive. For proinflammatory cytokines, higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6 were detected in the sera of T. gondii–seropositive dogs compared with seronegative dogs. Additionally, the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in seropositive dogs was slightly lower.