Abstract
Linguatula serrata is a worldwide zoonotic food-borne parasite. The parasite is responsible for linguatulosis and poses a concern to human and animal health in endemic regions. This study investigated the hematological changes, oxidant/antioxidant status and immunological responses in goats and sheep naturally infected with L. serrata. Hematological changes, antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. The level of inter-leukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNA expression was investigated in lymph nodes. According to the hemogram results, eosinophils were significantly increased in the infected goats and sheep, and Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT), hematocrit (HCT), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were significantly decreased. The levels of MDA and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly higher in infected animals than in non-infected animals. However, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) was significantly lower in infected animals than in non-infected animals. A comparison of the cytokine mRNA expression in lymph nodes from infected and non-infected animals showed higher cytokine expression in the infected animals. Infection with L. serrata caused microcytic hypochromic and normocytic hypochromic anemia in goats and sheep. The inconsistent results of immunological changes were found in infected goats and sheep. In both animals, oxidative stress occurred and led to an increase in lipid peroxidation. L. serrata created a cytokine microenvironment biased towards the type 2 immune responses.