Effect of dexamethasone on babesiasis in hamsters

Three subcutaneous injections of 0.20 mg of dexamethasone/kg of body weight caused a substantial increase in Babesia microti-parasitized RBC of hamsters, indicating that this was a useful method for revealing the presence of latent infections. A relative neutrophilia, lymphocytopenia, and eosinopenia were also seen in the long-term B microti-infected carrier hamsters after 0.20 mg or 0.02 mg of dexamethasone/kg. Noninfected hamsters treated with dexamethasone had a neutrophilic leukocytosis and a transient lymphocytopenia. Spleen to body weight ratios of noninfected hamsters decreased significantly (P less than 0.02) after 4 injections with either dosage level. These ratios did not significantly (P greater than 0.05) decrease in dexamethasone-treated infected hamsters.