Efficacy of fresh frozen plasma immunotherapy in the treatment of neonatal Sepsis in dogs

Abstract

The incidence of neonatal sepsis in dogs is high, affecting about 14.8% of newborns, and the mortality rate is about 25.6%, which is higher during the first days of life. These high rates of sepsis and early mortality may be associated with the immunosuppressed state of dogs at birth, increasing the susceptibility of newborns to bacterial infections considered to be commencing and reducing the responsiveness to these infections, resulting in a higher risk of death until weaning. Thus, an adjunct treatment to conventional treatment of sepsis, such as the administration of blood plasma, used as a source of passive immunity, can impact on neonatal immunity and responses to the newborn's defenses against infections, increasing the chance of survival. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the use of fresh frozen plasma as passive immunotherapy in the treatment of neonatal sepsis in dogs. As well as, to evaluate the use of biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis. At least 40 neonates in sepsis will be included in the experiment, 20 animals that will receive administration of fresh frozen plasma, blood plasma group (GP) and a group of 20 animals that will not receive plasma administration, control group (CG). Among the groups will be evaluated, compared and correlated the clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as the serum concentrations of immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG, and biomarkers of c-reactive protein sepsis, procalcitonin and troponin I. In addition, determine the mortality rates among the studied groups. To evaluate the biomarkers, there will be a group of 20 healthy neonates (SG), so that a pattern of comparative normality can be established. The study presupposes that septic neonate dogs that receive blood plasma as passive immunotherapy, adjunct to the treatment of sepsis, will present an increase in the serum concentration of immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG and improve clinical and laboratory parameters more effectively when compared to neonates who do not receive plasma. In addition, c-reactive protein, procalcitonin and troponin I biomarkers are expected to be increased in patients on sepsis compared to healthy ones, determining their use in the diagnosis or prognosis of neonatal sepsis in dogs. Furthermore, the study assumes that mortality will be lower in septic newborns receiving blood plasma. (AU)