Evaluation of some systemic inflammatory biomarkers in canine malignant mammary tumors

The aim of this study is to investigate whether neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) parameters could be used as biomarkers for canine malignant mammary tumors (MMTs), and the changes in these parameters according to different tumor (T), lymph node (N), and metastasis (M) stages (TNM I-II-III, TNM IV, TNM V) and the number of affected mammary glands (single, multiple). Thirty-seven with MMT and 20 healthy dogs were used in this study. Complete blood count and biochemistry analysis were performed in all dogs. Tumor material is removed by tru-cut and sent to the pathology laboratory for diagnosis. NLR, PLR, and SII values increased, and LMR and PNI values decreased in dogs with MMT. Median NLR values increased and median LMR and PNI values decreased as the TNM stage progressed. In dogs with a single MMT, median NLR, and PLR values were found to be lower than in dogs with multiple MMTs, and median LMR, SII, AGR, and PNI values were higher. The present results indicated that NLR, LMR, PLR, SII, and PNI parameters could be used as biomarkers for canine MMT. Also, NLR, LMR, PLR, SII, PNI, and AGR parameters may be valuable biomarkers that reveal the degree of systemic immune response according to different TNM stages and the number of affected mammary glands

Comparison of different bronchial closure techniques following pneumonectomy in dogs

The comparison of the histologic healing and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) complications encountered with three different BS closure techniques (manual suture, stapler and manual suture plus tissue flab) after pneumonectomy in dogs was investigated for a one-month period. The dogs were separated into two groups: group I (GI) (n = 9) and group II (GII) (n = 9). Right and left pneumonectomies were performed on the animals in GI and GII, respectively. Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to BS closure technique: subgroup I (SGI) (n = 3), manual suture; subgroup II (SGII) (n = 3), stapler; and subgroup III (SGIII) (n = 3), manual suture plus tissue flab. The dogs were sacrificed after one month of observation, and the bronchial stumps were removed for histological examination. The complications observed during a one-month period following pneumonectomy in nine dogs (n = 9) were: BPF (n = 5), peri-operative cardiac arrest (n = 1), post-operative respiratory arrest (n = 1), post-operative cardiac failure (n = 1) and cardio-pulmonary failure (n = 1). Histological healing was classified as complete or incomplete healing. Histological healing and BPF complications in the subgroups were analyzed statistically. There was no significant difference in histological healing between SGI and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05), nor between SGII and SGIII (p = 1.00; p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was observed between the subgroups in terms of BPF (p = 0.945; p > 0.05). The results of the statistical analysis indicated that manual suture, stapler or manual suture plus tissue flab could be alternative methods for BS closure following pneumonectomy in dogs

Isolation of Shewanella putrefaciens from Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus)

In the present study, the etiological agent that caused mortality in goldfish at an aquarium company located in Bursa in northwestern Turkey was identified. Diseased fish were lethargic, displaying a loss of appetite, ascites, and exophthalmia. Internal examination revealed that the kidney was surrounded by exudate and that the spleen and liver were pale. Microbiological examination showed that the kidney, spleen, and liver were infected by gram-negative, cytochrome oxidase, catalase, and H2S positive rod-shaped bacteria identified as Shewanella putrefaciens. Identification of the bacteria was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Histopathological examination of the kidney, spleen, and liver revealed necrosis in kidney tubules and the presence of hepatocytes and hemosiderin in melanomacrophages. According to the disk diffusion method, isolates were sensitive to enrofloxacin (5 mu g), florfenicol (30 mu g), gentamycin (120 mu g), and sulfamehoxazole+ trimethoprim (25 mu g)

A View from Young Oncologists on Clinical Trials in Turkey: Obstacles and Solution Proposals

There is a new improvement in oncology nearly in every day as a result of preclinical or clinical. As the number of publication per capita, Turkey is far behind the other developed European countries. For example, the number of publications in oncology field is 2.134.964 in the world, it is 15.576 in our country. The most important obstacles for clinical trials in Turkey may be listed as financial problems, difficulties of working conditions, time limitation due to work intensity, inadequate experienced/trained man-power, absence of assistance team at all steps of a scientific trial, difficulties faced during project planning and ethics committee submissions, and lack of motivation. In this article, we, as young oncologists, aimed to discuss the place of Turkey in areas of scientific and clinical trials in the world; underlying causes for inadequate number, type and quality of national studies and possible solution proposals in our country