**4. Conclusion**

Dogs naturally infected by Anaplasmataceae have serum concentration of different cytokines, but IFN-γ seems to be responsible for decreasing blood viscosity in these animals and causing disturbances in erythrocytes that are harmful. However, IFN-γ is also important in eliminating Anaplasmataceae by regulating the proliferation of these bacteria in infected dogs.

Alteration of blood rheology in dogs naturally infected with Anaplasmataceae probably occurs due to the systemic character of the infection that leads to erythrocyte alterations, which in turn disrupt the normal blood flow in these animals.

*Parasitology and Microbiology Research*

*The results were expressed in mean and standard error.*

*Cytokine concentrations in dogs non-infected and dogs with Anaplasmataceae.*

*\* P < 0.05.*

**Table 6.**

**Cytokines Anaplasmataceae (−) Anaplasmataceae (+)** IL-2 67.1 ± 10.6 73.0 ± 14.7 IL-4 31.2 ± 9.9 34.5 ± 4.9 IL-6 31.3 ± 11.6 32.0 ± 3.8 IL-10 32.7 ± 8.2 37.1 ± 3.7\* IL-17 371.7 ± 224.2 502.1 ± 379.1 TNF-α 533.8 ± 260.4 319.6 ± 245.4 IFN-γ 253.8 ± 172.5 256.2 ± 156.4

*Correlation between viscosity with erythrocytes, shear rates and IFN-γ; erythrocytes with shear rates and IFN-γ;* 

*and IFN-γ with shear rates of dogs infected with Anaplasmataceae.*

**36**

**Figure 3.**

Thus, cytokine modulation reflects the hemorheological profile of infected animals and mainly the viscosity and shear rates.

It is not known which proteins could be involved in this process of viscosity alteration in dogs infected by bacteria of the Anaplasmataceae family. Thus, further studies are needed to understand which proteins are related to the decrease in viscosity in these animals.

It is proposed that the determination of blood rheological parameters as well as their therapeutic accompaniment may be important for dogs naturally infected with Anaplasmataceae. Controlled use of IFN-γ may be a tool to aid treatment, but anemia rates should be considered. In addition, infected dogs with moderate to severe anemia rates could benefit from IL-10 treatment.
