Alterations in acid-base balance, blood gases, and hematobiochemical profiles of whole-blood and thoracic fluid in goats with contagious caprine pleuropneumonia

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a highly contagious and fatal disease affecting goats and some wild ruminants. It is a cause of major economic losses in the goat industry in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This study aimed to investigate the acid-base balance, blood gases, and hematobiochemical profiles of whole-blood and fluid collected from the thoracic cavity in goats with CCPP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-five goats suffering from weight loss, anorexia, dyspnea, polypnea, cough, and nasal discharges due to CCPP were studied. Twenty-five healthy goats were used as controls. Diseased animals were enrolled in this study based on a positive serological latex agglutination test (LAT) that confirmed the detection of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae. The control goats were enrolled based on a negative result of the LAT. RESULTS: Compared with a mean value of 7.38±0.04 in controls, the pH in the diseased group was 7.41±0.05. The blood pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO(2)), pressure of oxygen (PO(2)), base excess (BE), bicarbonate (HCO(3)), total carbon dioxide (TCO(2)), and saturation of oxygen (SO(2)) were lower in goats with CCPP than in controls. However, the anion gap (AnGap) was higher in the diseased goats than in the healthy ones. Compared with the levels in blood samples, the thoracic fluid PCO(2), PO(2), BE, and SO(2) were higher while pH, HCO(3), TCO(2), and AnGap were lower. Compared with the findings in healthy goats, hematological alterations included significant increases in white blood cells and neutrophils, and a significant decrease in the red blood cell count. In the thoracic fluid, neutrophilic leukocytosis was a remarkable finding. The serum concentrations of globulin, blood urea nitrogen, and glucose, and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) increased significantly compared with those in controls. In contrast, serum concentrations of albumin, calcium, and magnesium, and the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased significantly compared with those of healthy animals. The activities of ALP, AST, GGT, and creatine kinase and the concentration of phosphorus were higher in thoracic fluid than the serum values in the diseased group. CONCLUSION: When compared with the healthy controls, goats with CCPP have metabolic acidosis. Compared with the levels in healthy goats, the blood PCO(2), PO(2), BE, HCO(3), TCO(2), and SO(2) are low in goats with CCPP; however, the AnGap is higher in diseased goats.