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Open AccessArticle
Canine Amniotic Fluid at Birth Holds Information about Neonatal Antibody Titres against Core Vaccine Viruses
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali, Università degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Submission received: 1 April 2024
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Revised: 9 May 2024
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Accepted: 22 May 2024
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Published: 23 May 2024
Simple Summary
Due to its promising applications in diagnosis and therapy, amniotic fluid may represent the substrate of the future in obstetric and regenerative medicine. In this study, we explored its potential impact on canine neonatal immunity by investigating, in both maternal plasma and amniotic fluid collected at birth, total and specific immunoglobulins G against the three viruses responsible for most of the neonatal mortalities in dogs: canine parvovirus (CPV-2), infectious canine hepatitis virus (CadV-1), and canine distemper virus (CDV). Our findings revealed that both total and specific plasma maternal IgG titres were not strictly related to vaccination status, whereas specific immunoglobulin G concentrations in amniotic fluids showed some correlation with the bitch vaccination status. Furthermore, puppies that developed pathological conditions (i.e., diarrhoea of any origin) within the first two months of life exhibited significantly lower amniotic CAdV-1 antibody titres compared to healthy ones. The evaluation of antibodies in amniotic fluid at birth could provide crucial information on the actual immune status of newborns.
Abstract
There is a growing interest in the composition of amniotic fluid (AF) in both humans and animals. In addition to its nutritional and protective functions for the foetus, current knowledge demonstrates that AF also serves advanced diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic roles. Newborn dogs have an underdeveloped immune system, making them highly susceptible to dangerous pathogens such as canine parvovirus (CPV-2), canine infectious hepatitis virus (CAdV-1), and canine distemper virus (CDV), thus exposing them to a high risk of mortality in the first weeks of life. Immunoglobulins G (IgGs) represent the only antibody isotype capable of crossing the placenta in a small amount and have been detected also in canine AF. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of AF collected at birth as a marker of passive immunity in canine species. For this purpose, total and specific IgGs against CPV-2, CAdV-1, and CDV were investigated and quantified in both maternal plasma and AF collected at the time of caesarean section. The vaccination status of the bitches was also taken into consideration. Since the immune system can be influenced by gestational age, with preterm infants having immature innate and adaptive immunity, IgG concentrations were correlated with amniotic lecithin, sphingomyelin, cortisol, surfactant protein A, and pentraxin 3 levels. In a previous study from our group on foetal maturity these molecules were measured in the same samples. Finally, correlations between their amniotic content and neonatal outcomes were investigated. This study demonstrates that AF analysis at birth can provide valuable insights into neonatal immunity in puppies, offering a non-invasive method to detect potential early health risks, for improved puppy care and management.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Groppetti, D.; Pecile, A.; Filipe, J.; Riva, F.; Inglesi, A.; Kuhn, P.A.; Giussani, E.; Dall’Ara, P.
Canine Amniotic Fluid at Birth Holds Information about Neonatal Antibody Titres against Core Vaccine Viruses. Vet. Sci. 2024, 11, 234.
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11060234
AMA Style
Groppetti D, Pecile A, Filipe J, Riva F, Inglesi A, Kuhn PA, Giussani E, Dall’Ara P.
Canine Amniotic Fluid at Birth Holds Information about Neonatal Antibody Titres against Core Vaccine Viruses. Veterinary Sciences. 2024; 11(6):234.
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11060234
Chicago/Turabian Style
Groppetti, Debora, Alessandro Pecile, Joel Filipe, Federica Riva, Alessia Inglesi, Pietro Andrea Kuhn, Elisa Giussani, and Paola Dall’Ara.
2024. "Canine Amniotic Fluid at Birth Holds Information about Neonatal Antibody Titres against Core Vaccine Viruses" Veterinary Sciences 11, no. 6: 234.
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11060234
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