Comparison of serum protein electrophoretic changes in canine parvovirus and coronavirus enteritis

    Canine parvovirus (CPV) and coronavirus (CCV) have been incriminated as the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in dogs younger than 6 months. In this study, serum protein electrophoretic patterns were carried out in 10 naturally infected dogs with canine parvoviral and coronaviral enteritis, each ones and compared them with 20 clinically healthy dogs using cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Definitive diagnosis of CPV and CCV infections was confirmed by rapid immunochromatographic assay kits. Compared to healthy dogs, significant decreases were determined in the serum concentration of total protein, albumin, total globulin, α₁ globulin, β₁ globulin, β₂ globulin and γ globulin as well as significant increase in α₂ globulin concentration in dogs with parvoviral enteritis (p<0.001). While in dogs with coronaviral enteritis the concentration of total globulin, β₂ globulin and γ globulin was significantly lower and of β₁ globulin was significantly greater than normal range (p<0.001). These results may be due to different pathogenesis of CPV and CCV. Unlike CPV infection, villius necrosis and hemorrhage are rare in CCV enteritis. Our results indicate that separation and identification of different canine serum protein fractions facilitates the understanding of the pathological changes associated with different conditions including parvoviral and coronaviral infections.