Circulatory cytokines during the piroplasm stage of natural Theileria annulata infection in cattle

Abstract

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to investigate the inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokine response from a broad perspective in cattle with natural Theileria annulata infection. Ten cattle naturally infected with T. annulata and eight healthy cattle were included in this study. A total of 11 cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐12, IL‐13, and IL‐17 were evaluated in serum samples using commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. There was no statistical significance for serum TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐5, IL‐6, and IL‐17 levels between the T. annulata infected and healthy cattle. In contrast, the median serum levels of IFN‐γ (p = .023), IL‐2 (p = .066), IL4 (p = .0016), IL‐10 (p = .00087), IL‐12 (p = .00018), and IL‐13 (p = .023) were significantly higher in T. annulata‐infected cattle than in healthy cattle. The results of the present study revealed that in the intraerythrocytic stage of tropical theileriosis, a very pronounced anti‐inflammatory response occurs as well as an ongoing inflammatory process.