Preliminary data about Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) as a maker for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease in which the definitive diagnosis is achieved by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on post-mortem biopsies. The clinical suspicion is aroused by signalment, clinical signs and several laboratory tests, including alpha-1-acid glycoprotein measurement for which the only validated kit is no longer available. Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) is a serum enzyme with antioxidant activity, considered as a negative acute phase protein in several species. Since inflammation plays a major role in FIP, and due to the high susceptibility of cats to oxidation, it could be of great interest the evaluation of this enzyme as a diagnostic marker for FIP. The aim of this study was to measure paraoxonase-1 in healthy cats and cats with clinical signs consistent with FIP (both wet or dry form), in order to evaluate the utility of this parameter in the diagnosis of FIP. Sixty-two cats were enrolled and divided into three groups: healthy (n=16), confirmed FIP (n=22) and NON FIP with similar clinical signs (n=24). PON-1 was measured on serum, using a paraoxon-based enzymatic method, already validated in cats. Results showed significantly lower PON-1 activity in FIP cats (mean ± SD: 29.1 ± 16.3 U/mL; median: 24.4; IQR: 16.6-38.3), compared with healthy cats (90.1 ± 24.1 U/mL; median: 86.0; IQR: 76.7-105.7; P<0.001) and with “non-FIP” cats (55.9 ± 28.3 U/mL; median: 51.9; IQR: 35.7-68.8, P<0.001). A significant difference was also found between healthy and “non-FIP” cats (P<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated that PON-1 may discriminate cats with and without FIP (Fig.1). At the cut-off that maximizes the diagnostic power of the test, sensitivity and specificity for FIP were 77% each, suggesting that PON-1 may be a reliable marker in association with other confirmatory tests and with signs consistent with the disease

Developmental lung disease in a cat associated with high probability of severe pulmonary hypertension: natural history, histopathology and genetic analysis.

CASE SUMMARY: This report describes the diagnostic findings, natural history and genetic analysis of the candidate gene Forkhead Box F1 (FOXF1) in a young cat with developmental lung disease and high probability of pulmonary hypertension. A 1-year-old male entire Chartreux cat was referred for cardiac murmur investigation and exercise intolerance. Echocardiography identified a high-velocity tricuspid regurgitant jet with right-sided cardiac changes, supporting a high probability of pulmonary hypertension. No congenital cardiac shunts or left-sided cardiac changes were found to support a primary cardiac cause of pulmonary hypertension. Extensive laboratory work, thoracic radiographs and CT were performed. Histopathological characterisation (lung biopsy and later post mortem) was necessary to reach the final diagnosis. Eight months after diagnosis, the cat developed right-sided congestive heart failure, eventually leading to euthanasia. Survival from diagnosis to death was 12 months. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Developmental lung disease belongs to a group of diffuse lung diseases in humans associated with pulmonary hypertension. The veterinary literature describing lung growth disorders in cats is sparse, and the present report provides information on clinical presentation and progression alongside a thorough diagnostic workup, which may aid clinicians in identifying this condition. Lung biopsy was pivotal in reaching the final diagnosis. No causal variants in FOXF1 were identified

Comparative Evaluation of Peripheral Blood Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, Serum Albumin to Globulin Ratio and Serum C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in Dogs with Inflammatory Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Healthy Dogs

Simple Summary Canine inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy caused by immunosuppressive-responsive enteropathy (IRE-PLE) is associated with a time-consuming diagnostic workup and a guarded prognosis. In human medicine, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, albumin to globulin ratio and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio are routinely available biomarkers that have been shown to correlate with several clinical parameters and a poor prognosis. Scattered information exists on the use of these three biomarkers in dogs with IRE-PLE. This study evaluated the clinical significance of these biomarkers in a population of dogs with IRE-PLE at the time of diagnosis and after therapy. Increased values of all three biomarkers were detected in dogs with IRE-PLE at the time of diagnosis, and correlations were observed between some of these biomarkers and the existing chronic enteropathy activity index. After therapy, changes in all three biomarkers were observed. Further studies are needed to assess their clinical significance at a longer follow-up. Few routinely available biomarkers are clinically useful in assessing dogs with inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy caused by immunosuppressive-responsive enteropathy (IRE-PLE). Only the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been studied, while no information exists on the use of the albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/ALB). We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the NLR, AGR and CRP/ALB in a population of dogs with IRE-PLE. The medical records of 53 IRE-PLE dogs were reviewed at the time of diagnosis (T0) and 1 month after the initiation of immunosuppressants (T1). A control group of 68 healthy dogs was used for comparison. At T0, the median values of the NLR and AGR of sick dogs were significantly higher and lower than those of healthy dogs, respectively. With the increase in the chronic enteropathy activity index, AGR and CRP/ALB significantly decreased and increased, respectively. At T1, NLR and AGR significantly increased, while CRP/ALB significantly decreased. NLR, AGR and CRP/ALB did not differ significantly between dogs classified as responders and nonresponders according to the chronic enteropathy activity index. Further studies are needed to provide more information on this subject

Clinical evaluation and microbiota analysis in 9 dogs with antibiotic‐responsive enteropathy: A prospective comparison study

Abstract Background Antibiotic‐responsive enteropathy (ARE) is diagnosed by excluding other causes of diarrhea and when there is a short‐term response to administration of antibiotics. Objectives To characterize the gut microbiota and clinical trend of dogs with suspected ARE and to evaluate the variation in microbiota before (T0), after 30 days (T30) of tylosin treatment, and 30 days after discontinuation of treatment (T60). A further objective was to evaluate whether changes in gut microbiota are related to relapses of diarrhea when the therapy is tapered. Animals Study sample (group A) was composed of 15 dogs with chronic diarrhea, group B was composed of 15 healthy dogs. Group A was given tylosin for 30 days. Methods A multicentric prospective study. Clinical Indexes, fecal score, and samples for microbiota analysis were collected at T0, T30, and T60 in group A and T0 and T30 in group B. The gut microbiota was analyzed via 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Qiime2 version 2020.2 was used to perform bioinformatic analyses, and Alpha‐ and Beta‐diversity were computed. Results Diarrhea recurred after T30 in 9 of 14 dogs, which were classified as affected by ARE. At T0, a difference was noted in the beta‐diversity between groups (Bray Curtis metric P = .006). A T0‐T30 difference in alpha‐diversity was noted in group A (Shannon index P = .001, Faith PD P = .007). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Although tylosin influences the microbiota of dogs with ARE, we failed to find any specific characteristic in the microbiota of dogs with ARE