Role of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament (NF) expression in the pathophysiology of canine distemper encephalomyelitis

Abstract

Objectives: Canine distemper virus (CDV), a member of the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae, is the causative agent of canine distemper, a fatal and highly contagious disease that affects dogs and other carnivores. This study aimed to investigate whether there is a correlation between glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament (NF) expression in canine distemper encephalomyelitis (CDE) and the severe neuropathology that occurs. Materials and Methods: GFAP and NF expression levels in the brain tissue of 13 dogs diagnosed with CDE were investigated by immunohistochemical method. Results: The results of the study revealed that GFAP (P < 0.005) and NF (P < 0.005) expression levels in brain tissue were significantly increased in CDV-infected dogs compared to healthy, uninfected dogs. GFAP expression was mainly observed in endothelial cells and astrocytes, whereas NF expression was mainly found in neurons. In addition, it was found that the expression of both GFAP and NF was more pronounced in the areas with the most severe neuropathological findings. Conclusions: This study demonstrated pathological astrocyte reactivation and neuronal degeneration at the molecular level. These findings provide information about the stage of the disease. This study clearly demonstrated that detailed information about the prognosis of the disease can be obtained from GFAP and NF expression. Since GFAP/NF levels provide information about the severity of the disease, they can be used clinically. Therefore, further research into the involvement of GFAP and NF expression in the pathophysiology of CDE has great potential to improve our understanding of this complex neurological disorder.