Animal tumour registry of two provinces in northern Italy: incidence of spontaneous tumours in dogs and cats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cancer is a major cause of death in domestic animals. Furthermore, many forms of pet neoplasm resemble that of their human counterparts in biologic behaviour, pathologic expression, and recognised risk factors.</p> <p>In April 2005, a pilot project was activated so as to establish a dog and cat tumour registry living in the Venice and Vicenza provinces (Veneto Region, north-eastern Italy), with the aim of estimating the incidence of spontaneous tumours.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Through a telephone survey, the estimates of canine and feline populations of the catchment area turned out to be of 296,318 (CI +/- 30,201) and 214,683 (CI +/- 21,755) subjects, respectively. During the first three years, overall 2,509 canine and 494 feline cases of neoplasia were diagnosed. In dogs, the estimated annual incidence rate (IR) per 100,000 dogs for all tumours was 282 in all the catchment area, whereas in cats the IR was much lower (IR = 77). Malignant and benign tumours were equally distributed in male and female dogs, whereas cats had a 4.6-fold higher incidence of malignant tumours than benign. In both dogs and cats, purebreds had an almost 2-fold higher incidence of malignant tumours than mixed breeds. Tumour incidence increased with age in both dog and cat populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has provided estimates of incidence of spontaneous neoplasm in companion animals. Further attempts will be made to increase the accuracy in the population size assessment and to ascertain the real gap with the official regional canine demographic registry. Veterinary practitioners may also benefit from the tumour registry insofar they may obtain data for specific breeds, age groups or geographical areas.</p

Partial degradation of 17β-estradiol by the chlorination applied to the treatment of water

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degradation of the estrogen 17β-estradiol at doses of chlorine and contact times commonly used in water treatment plants. The application of chlorine led to minor changes in most parameters examined. The initial concentration of the hormone affected the removal by chlorine and was observed that increasing the dose of chlorine increased the removal of 17β-estradiol until the dose of 2 mg.L-1. The highest removal of hormone obtained was 99%, and inactivation of the indicator microorganisms, E. coli and total coliform was up to 5.6 log for values of CT greater than 14 mg.min.L-1O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a degradação do hormônio 17β-estradiol com doses de cloro e tempos de contato comumente utilizados em estações de tratamento de água. A aplicação de cloro levou a pequenas alterações na maioria das variáveis analisadas. A concentração inicial de 17β-estradiol influenciou a remoção pelo cloro, e observou-se que o aumento da dose de cloro aumentou a remoção do 17β-estradiol até a dose de 2 mg.L-1. A maior remoção de hormônio obtida foi de 99%, e a inativação dos microrganismos indicadores, E. coli e coliformes totais foi de até 5,6 log para valores de CT maiores que 14 mg.min.L-

Productive Results, Oxidative Stress and Contaminant Markers in European Sea Bass: Conventional vs. Organic Feeding

In the present study European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) subjected to two different diets (organic vs. conventional) were evaluated in terms of growing performances, oxidative stress, and contaminant markers. Growing performances were evaluated using biometric measures and condition factor (K), whereas insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I and IGF-II) levels were assessed trough Real-Time PCR analysis. For oxidative stress, immunohistochemical staining for 8-hydroxy-2&prime;-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) was performed, whereas total glutathione (GSH) in blood serum was determined by an enzymatic method adapted. Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) and melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) were evaluated as contaminant markers trough immunohistochemical and histochemical approaches, respectively. The growing performances showed a positive trend in both groups but a greater productivity in conventional fed fish compared to the organic ones. A significant higher expression of MMCs was observed in organic vs. conventional diet fed fish. Fillet analysis showed a higher MUFA content and a lower PUFAs n-6 content in organically fed sea bass indicating that diets with a content in fatty acids closer to that of wild fish will definitely affect the fatty acid profile of the fish flesh. On the other hand, the diet composition did not seem to affect neither the oxidative stress parameters (GSH, 8-OHdG, HNE) nor the CYP1A expression

Imaging of exogenous lipoid pneumonia simulating lung malignancy in a dog

This report presents peculiar radiographic and computed tomographic features of a lung mass in a dog, later diagnosed by histology as exogenous lipoid pneumonia. Although lipoid pneumonia is a well-known pathological entity in pets, this is the first imaging description of a single infiltrative lesion mimicking a neoplasm

Looking for Dog Blood Donors in an Endemic Area for Vector-Borne Infections of Central Italy

Dogs are proved to be competent reservoir hosts for several vector-borne pathogens. Their prevalence varies according to the geographical area. Many vector-borne pathogens may be transmitted by blood transfusion. The purpose of this study was to determine the serological and molecular prevalence of some vector-borne pathogens in dog blood donors, living in central Italy. Blood samples of 126 donors (19 breeds) included were tested for a broad serological and DNA-base tests panel. The differences in pathogen prevalence according to age, sex, and breeds were tested (chi-square test, Fisher&rsquo;s exact test). Overall, 50 animals (39.7%) tested positive at PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and/or serology (IFAT, indirect fluorescent antibody test) for at least one pathogen. Three dogs were positive at both serology and PCR. A tendency of hemoplasmas to be more prevalent in older dogs (41.2%) compared to the younger ones (25.7%) was noted. We highlight the difficulties of selecting healthy blood donor dogs in an endemic area for vector-borne infections. It is important to choose the serological and biomolecular investigations panel that is most suited to the donor&rsquo;s environment. Close collaboration between clinician and parasitologists is important in the interpretation of IFAT and PCR results. Finally, we underline the important role of blood donors as an epidemiological tool for active surveillance against canine vector-borne diseases