Evaluation of relationship between histopathological lesions and cardiac biomarkers changes in lambs with foot and mouth disease
Zahra Jafarnia
1
(
D.V.M. Graduate, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
)
Mohammad Hashemnia
2
(
Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
)
Zahra Nikoosafat
3
(
Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
)
Keywords: Foot-and-mouth disease, Lamb, Histopathological lesions, Cardiac biomarkers,
Abstract :
Foot-and-mouth disease produces high mortality in lambs, and the cause of their death is often myocardial injury. ELISA test and molecular methods are among the routine methods for diagnosis of infected animals. Although these methods are very efficient, they are usually expensive and time-consuming. This study was designed to evaluate cardiac biomarkers and their relationship with the severity of histopathologic lesions. 25 diseased lambs that were diagnosed based on ELISA test were selected as the disease group and 25 healthy lambs were used as the control. To determine cardiac biomarkers, blood was collected from infected and healthy animals. After necropsy of the affected lambs, samples of the heart tissue were taken to histopathological studies. The main histopathologic findings were hyaline degeneration, necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, muscular atrophy, vasculitis and congestion. Mean troponin I, myoglobin and ROS concentrations and CK and LDH activities were significantly higher in FMD cases compared with controls (p<0.05). The rate of increase in cardiac biomarkers was directly related to the extent and severity of pathologic lesions. These results showed that the increase in the serum level of these biomarkers can potentially provide comprehensive evidence about cardiac lesions in animals with FMD. The increase in cardiac biomarkers, particularly troponin I, was directly related to the severity pathological lesions. It seems that the assay of troponin has high specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of cardiac lesions, and together with taking the history of the flock, clinical examinations and necropsy symptoms can help in diagnosing the disease.
