Determination of serum zonulin levels in dogs with parvoviral enteritis and evaluation of its clinical importance

DETERMINATION OF SERUM ZONULIN LEVELS IN DOGS WITH PARVOVIRAL ENTERITIS AND EVALUATION OF ITS CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Canine parvoviral enteritis (CPVe) is a highly prevalent and highly contagious disease among dogs, but it is still very difficult to treat. For a favorable prognosis of CPVe in dogs, it is important to diagnose the disease early and start treatment as early as possible. The aim of this study was to determine the serum zonulin level in dogs with CPVe and to evaluate its clinical/prognostic significance. In this study, 10 dogs of different breeds and sexes that were brought to the clinic with diarrhea complaints and diagnosed with CPVe by rapid test kit and 10 dogs that were determined to be healthy as a result of clinical and hematological examination were evaluated. For this purpose, 2 ml of blood was taken from the vena cephalica antebrachii of the dogs and placed in anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant tubes for necessary examinations. The blood placed in anticoagulated tubes was analyzed for hemogram without waiting. After centrifugation of the blood placed in non-anticoagulant tubes, the samples were stored under appropriate conditions for zonulin test and then zonulin test was performed. It was ensured that the healthy dogs in the control group had not been treated with antibiotics for at least 1 month. When the findings obtained in the study were analyzed statistically (mean±standard deviation), it was determined that there was a highly significant and significant statistical difference (p<0.000) in zonulin levels between the control group (1.41±0.54) and the CPVe group (15.05±4.15). When hematologic findings were evaluated; there was a significant difference between the control group (9,34±2,56) and CPVe group (2,84±1,48) in leukocyte levels (p<0,000), between the control group (1,7±0,43) and CPVe group (0,83±0,39) in lymphocyte levels (p<0,002), between the control group (6,77±2,53) and CPVe group (1, 09±0.57) (p<0.000), eusonophil levels between control group (0.31±0.14) and CPVe group (0.02±0.01) (p<0.000), basophil levels between control group (0.07±0.04) and CPVe group (0.01±0) (p<0.007), erythrocyte levels between control group (7,76±0,36) and CPVe group (6,63±0,52) (p<0,000), hemoglobin levels between control group (17,29±1,24) and CPVe group (13,78±2,24) (p<0,003), hematocrit levels between control group (49,66±2,20) and CPVe group (43,19±7,66) (p<0,014). The statistical difference between the control group (122,28±16,52) and CPVe group (158,6±24,64) was determined as (p<0,003) in the evaluation made on the number of heart beats among the vital signs obtained from the dogs forming the groups. As a result, it is seen that the use of zonulin as a biomarker for the detection of intestinal mucosal damage, which is an important trauma point in diarrhea in animals, although the etiology is different, can significantly affect the goals such as changing the prognosis positively by understanding the current situation in the mucosa in intestinal diseases, shortening the treatment time and possible contributions to the early diagnosis of intestinal diseases with more comprehensive studies. As a result of the data we obtained in this thesis study, it is thought that zonulin may be an important biomarker in the detection of intestinal damage and possible intestinal permeability caused by CPVe. Keywords: Canine parvoviral enteritis, diarrhea, dog, zonulin,