Determination of serum cardiac biomarkers and plasma D-dimer levelsin anemic sheep with babesiosis

Authors: ÖZLEM ORUNÇ KILINÇ, YAŞAR GÖZ, NAZMİ YÜKSEK, YILDIRAY BAŞBUĞAN, ALİ BİLGİN YILMAZ, AHMET DURAN ATAŞ

Abstract: In this study, the cardiac effects of anemia and venous thromboembolism (VTE), reportedly caused by the hemolyzed erythrocytes occurring in sheep with babesiosis, were investigated using cardiac markers and D-dimer (DD). The study included 34 sheep: 24 infected Akkaraman sheep (1-3 years old, diagnosed with babesiosis based on clinical and laboratory findings) and a control group of 10 noninfected healthy sheep of the same breed and age. Hematocrit (Hct) levels were measured in blood obtained from both groups. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured in serum samples. In addition, the levels of DD were also measured in plasma samples. Sheep with babesiosis were subsequently divided into 3 subgroups according to their Hct levels, which ranged from 13.2% to 16.3% in the first group (n = 8), 20.1% to 25.6% in the second group (n = 8), and 27.4% to 30.3% in the third group (n = 8). Evaluations of the measurements of cTnI, CK-MB, and AST levels indicated statistically significant differences between infected and healthy sheep. Statistically significant differences were not found for DD levels between the 2 groups.

Keywords: Babesia, cardiac biomarkers, D-dimer, hematocrit, sheep

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