[Asymptomatic human infection from contact with dogs: a case of human ehrlichiosis].

Introduction: Living with dogs leads one to consider the necessity of identifying canine infections found in the people with whom the dogs live.

Objective: Dogs which were clinically and serologically positive with the infections Ehirlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Dirofilaria Immitis were sought. People with the same infections were also identified.

Interaction of the protein C activation peptide with platelets.

The peptide NH(2)-DTEDQEDQVDPR-COOH is released during activation of protein C zymogen. We measured the effect of a synthetic peptide with an amino acid sequence similar to that of the natural peptide on platelets from healthy individuals using platelet aggregometry. We found that this synthetic peptide inhibits platelet aggregation induced by thrombin; furthermore, it diminishes mobilization of intraplatelet calcium.