EVALUATION OF SERUM SIALIC ACID AND ADENOSINE DEAMINASE ACTIVITY AS A DIAGNOSTIC INDICATORS FOR BABESIOSIS (B.OVIS) WITH SOME CLINICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN SHEEP NATURALLY INFECTED WITH BABESIA IN ISMAILIA GOVERNORATE

Discussion

Babesia is a small protozoan found in vertebrates red blood cells. This protozoan can be found in many species of animals such as cow, sheep, goat, pig, horse and buffalo. Babesiosis is an acute hemolytic feverous disease which is more prevalent in domesticated animals and transmitted by hard tick's bite, prevalence of this disease in tropical and subtropical regions is more and it causes severe loss of sensitive animals,(Seyyed et al., 2011).

Mortality of this disease in absence of treatment in case of Babesia ovis infection may reach 70% - 80% in sheep, (Hosseini, 2003).

The difference of severity of the disease may attribute to the higher incidence of tick vectors and the change in husbandry, climatic condition and control of ticks with respect to the seasonal variation that the peak was in summer followed by spring that agreed with Yeruham et al. (1998), Ramadan and Lubna, (2000).

Clinical examination among diseased sheep showed that the affected sheep had marked increase of temperature, loss of appetite, emaciation, pale mucus membranes, jaundice dry muzzle and cessation of rumination, increased respiratory rate, muscle tremors in addition to the urine was dark red to brown in color due to hemoglobinuria in the final stages. Similar signs were recorded by El-Sawahly (1999); Omran and Abd El-Azeim (2000); Radwan and Ali (2004); Sulaiman   et al. (2010).

Serum biochemical changes in sheep infected with Babesia ovis has been documented. The results revealed that increased level of serum sialic acid concentration in sheep infected with Babesia ovis in comparison with the control group.

The results of the present study are similar to the previous reports by Ertekin et al. (2000); Karagenc et al. (2005). The elevation of serum sialic acid concentrations in sheep with Babesiosis may represent the host immune response to the parasite, where the increased level of sialic acid may alter receptor-ligand interactions, which are known to play an important role in inflammation and immune response (Karagenc et al., 2005).

In addition the release of sialic acid from the glycolipids or glycoproteins of the lysed cell membrane surfaces may result in the elevation of serum total sialic acid level in infected sheep.

Serum Adenosine deaminase levels was significantly higher (P< 0.001) in the infected groups in contrast to the control group. This increase in serum ADA levels may result from the phagocytic activity of macrophages and / or erythrocyte damage caused by the parasite (Ustundag et al., 1999).

Babesia ovis infection induced marked and persistent elevations of serum total sialic acid concentration and serum ADA suggesting that these indicators would indirectly promote the invasion and presence of the parasite in the host. These results were in agreement with Deger (2007).

Non-significant increase in serum glucose and cholesterol were observed in infected sheep in comparison to healthy animals. These findings indicating liver disease and nephrotoxic syndrome. Similar results were previously obtained by Abou EL-Naga (2002); Radwan and Ali (2004).

The results indicated also that, highly significant increase in total bilirubin (direct and indirect) in infected sheep comparatively with healthy animals. These results emphasize liver damage and increased in the indirect bilirubin was due to erythrocyte haemolysis (Jain, 2000). Similar results were reported by Yeruham et al. (1998); Abou El-Naga, (2002); Sulaiman et al. (2010).

Total protein and albumin were significantly decreased, these results may be due to destructive effect of Babesia on liver cells producing liver damage resulting in impaired synthesis of total protein and albumin from the liver (El-Sawahly, 1999)or due to renal insufficiency caused by the nephrotoxic effect when hemoglobin released from the ruptured red blood corpuscles due to parasite multiplication. These results agreed with those reported by Abou El-Naga (2002); Sulaiman et al. (2010).While non-significant  increase in serum globulin level in infected sheep was attributed to immune response of  animal  body to the infection Omran and Abd El-Azeim (2000); Rdwan and Ali (2004).

The effect of Babesia on serum calcium and sodium levels showed a significant decrease while serum level of inorganic phosphorus was increased in infected animal in comparison to healthy one.

The obtained results may be due to renal insufficiency caused by the nephrotoxic effect of hemoglobin that results from the rupture of red blood corpuscles due to parasite multiplication, also by liver involvement and anorexia for hypocalcaemia as well as the haemolytic nature of anaemia.

The obtained results coincided with those previously observed by Habela et al. (1991); Abou El-Naga (2002). On the other hand, no significant difference in serum potassium and magnesium levels were observed. Such results agree with Abou El-Naga (2002).

Blood serum iron level revealed highly significant elevation, these results were similar reported by El-Saifi et al. (1990); Omran and Abd El-Azeim (2000). Who attributed this alterations to the intra-vascular hemolysis. Blood serum copper and zinc showed highly significant decrease which may attributed to liver and bone marrow involvement as well as copper depletion(Ceci et al., 1997).

A highly significant increase in Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were observed in infected sheep in comparison to healthy one.

Such elevation was due to cellular damage caused by Babesia organisms lead to intravascular hemolysis which lead to anoxia and inflammatory lesions in various organs especially liver and kidneys causing nephrotoxic effects and lysis of erythrocytes during Babesia infection, these results were agreed with the results obtained by Radwan and Ali (2004); Sulaiman et al. (2010) in similar condition.

Finally, it may concluded that, the increased levels of serum sialic acid and Adenosine deaminase activity may mimic induced host immune response. Where Babesia ovis caused several pathological effects in many organs and tissues specially liver and kidneys to the animal host which lead to biochemical, metabolic and electrolytes disorders in blood serum of the affected animals.

The increased levels of serum sialic acid and adenosine deaminase activity may be used as a diagnostic indicators in diagnosis of Babesiosis in sheep, but these elevations are not definite diagnosis for Babesiosis because it may be increased also in many other disease conditions. 

So, it must be kept in mined that while treatment of diseased animals by eradication of ticks associated with additional treatment containing mineral mixture and injection of electrolytes solutions.

Acknowledgement

Researcher would like to sincerely thank Dr. Eman M. Youssef, Assistant professor of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University who help me in this study.

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