Figure 2.

Total leukocyte and leukocyte subset cell counts after M. haemofelis exposure in ten SPF cats. The five cats in group A had undergone previous “Cand. M. turicensis” infection (A-D) and the five cats in group B were naïve control cats (E-H). The M. haemofelis exposure took place on day 0. WBC (A, E), lymphocytes (B, F), monocytes (C, G) and eosinophils (D, H). Significant decreases and increases over time are indicated with an asterisk, and durations spanning more than one time point are indicated as a solid black line (p_F < 0.05 and p_D < 0.05, unless indicated otherwise). In detail, significant differences over time were observed in WBC counts in the cats in group A with decreased WBC counts on days 20, 23, 30, 37 and 41 compared with days 65 and 109 post exposure (A). Significant differences over time were observed in lymphocyte counts for both groups with decreased lymphocyte counts on days 20, 23, 27 and 37 compared with days 62, 19, 83, 90, 105 and 141 post exposure in cats in group A (B) (no significance in the post test for group B; F). A significant increase in monocyte counts with increased values on days 20 to 48 compared with days 141, 190, 232, 272 and 371 post exposure (C) and a decrease in eosinophil counts with decreased values on days 30, 37, 41, 48 and 57 compared with day 9 and day 286 after M. haemofelis exposure were observed in the cats in group A (D). In group B an increase in monocytes with increased values on day 34 compared with days 105, 141, 190 and 371 post exposure (G) and a decrease in eosinophils were found decrease on day 57 compared with day 190 post exposure (H). Upper and lower reference values are indicated as a dotted line.