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Death may
occur in CME as a consequence of hemorrhage and/or secondary infections.
Immunological mechanisms are involved with Coombs' and autoagglutination
tests in infected animals, and the demonstration of antiplatelet antibodies
(APA) in dogs experimentally infected with E. canis. Both platelet
bindable and platelet-bound APA have been demonstrated in the blood of
infected dogs and this likely related to thrombocytopenia and
thrombocytopathia. Involvement of the spleen in the
pathogenesis of CME is prominent. The typical lymphoplasmacytic splenitis
with the resultant liberation of splenic inflammatory mediators and other
splenic substances has been thought to play a key role in the pathogenesis
of this disease.
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