Cytokine expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of dogs with mitral valve disease

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure (CHF). In humans with CHF, increased production and high plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1, IL-8 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) have been associated with disease progression and a negative prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in cytokine blood mRNA expression exist between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD); to determine if the expression was related to the severity of MMVD, and to detect any correlations with echocardiographic parameters of cardiac remodelling. Twenty-three dogs with MMVD of varying severity and six clinically healthy dogs were included in the study. Whole blood samples were obtained for measurement of mRNA expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TGF-β1, TNF-α by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). There were statistically significant differences between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD for IL-8 and TGF-β1 gene expression. IL-8 expression increased with increasing MMVD severity and TGF-β1 expression was higher in asymptomatic dogs with echocardiographic signs of cardiac remodelling (American College Veterinary Internal Medicine class B2) than in all other groups. These results could suggest the involvement of these cytokines at different stages of the disease

International collaborative study to assess cardiovascular risk and evaluate long-term health in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and apparently healthy cats:The REVEAL Study

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent heart disorder in cats and principal cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Yet, the impact of preclinical disease is unresolved. Hypothesis/Objectives: Observational study to characterize cardiovascular morbidity and survival in cats with preclinical nonobstructive (HCM) and obstructive (HOCM) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and in apparently healthy cats (AH). Animals: One thousand seven hundred and thirty client-owned cats (430 preclinical HCM; 578 preclinical HOCM; 722 AH). Methods: Retrospective multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study. Cats from 21 countries were followed through medical record review and owner or referring veterinarian interviews. Data were analyzed to compare long-term outcomes, incidence, and risk for congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial thromboembolism (ATE), and cardiovascular death. Results: During the study period, CHF, ATE, or both occurred in 30.5% and cardiovascular death in 27.9% of 1008 HCM/HOCM cats. Risk assessed at 1, 5, and 10 years after study entry was 7.0%/3.5%, 19.9%/9.7%, and 23.9%/11.3% for CHF/ATE, and 6.7%, 22.8%, and 28.3% for cardiovascular death, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between HOCM compared with HCM for cardiovascular morbidity or mortality, time from diagnosis to development of morbidity, or cardiovascular survival. Cats that developed cardiovascular morbidity had short survival (mean \ub1 standard deviation, 1.3 \ub1 1.7 years). Overall, prolonged longevity was recorded in a minority of preclinical HCM/HOCM cats with 10% reaching 9-15 years. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Preclinical HCM/HOCM is a global health problem of cats that carries substantial risk for CHF, ATE, and cardiovascular death. This finding underscores the need to identify therapies and monitoring strategies that decrease morbidity and mortality

Long-term Incidence and risk of noncardiovascular and all-cause mortality in apparently healthy cats and cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background Epidemiologic knowledge regarding noncardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in apparently healthy cats (AH) and cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (pHCM) is limited, hindering development of evidence‐based healthcare guidelines. Objectives To characterize/compare incidence rates, risk, and survival associated with noncardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in AH and pHCM cats. Animals A total of 1730 client‐owned cats (722 AH, 1008 pHCM) from 21 countries. Methods Retrospective, multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study. Long‐term health data were extracted by medical record review and owner/referring veterinarian interviews. Results Noncardiovascular death occurred in 534 (30.9%) of 1730 cats observed up to 15.2 years. Proportion of noncardiovascular death did not differ significantly between cats that at study enrollment were AH or had pHCM (P = .48). Cancer, chronic kidney disease, and conditions characterized by chronic weight‐loss‐vomiting‐diarrhea‐anorexia were the most frequently recorded noncardiovascular causes of death. Incidence rates/risk of noncardiac death increased with age in AH and pHCM. All‐cause death proportions were greater in pHCM than AH (65% versus 40%, respectively; P < .001) because of higher cardiovascular mortality in pHCM cats. Comparing AH with pHCM, median survival (study entry to noncardiovascular death) did not differ (AH, 9.8 years; pHCM, 8.6 years; P = .10), but all‐cause survival was significantly shorter in pHCM (P = .0001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance All‐cause mortality was significantly greater in pHCM cats due to disease burden contributed by increased cardiovascular death superimposed upon noncardiovascular death

Aldosterone e rimodellamento cardiovascolare

Il rimodellamento cardiaco è un processo fisiopatologico riconosciuto come importante determinante del decorso clinico dell’insufficienza cardiaca, tanto da essere assurto a bersaglio della terapia medica. L’aldosterone, presente in concentrazioni elevate nei pazienti affetti da insufficienza cardiaca, contribuisce al rimodellamento e alla progressione dell’insufficienza cardiaca esercitando effetti pro-infiammatori e determinando stress ossidativo, promuovendo ipertrofia e fibrosi cardiaca e vascolare. Queste azioni concorrono a produrre disfunzione sistolica, disfunzione diastolica, ed effetti pro-aritmici. L’uso di antagonisti dell’aldosterone come lo spironolattone in associazione alla terapia standard si è dimostrato efficace nel ridurre morbilità e mortalità sia nell’uomo che nei cani affetti da malattia valvolare mitralica, sintomatici, con insufficienza cardiaca a stadio moderato-grave

La stenosi aortica nel cane boxer: aspetti epidemiologici, fisiopatologici e clinico-diagnostici

Dottorato di ricerca in medicina interna veterinaria. 8. ciclo. A.a. 1992-95. Tutore G. Ballarini. Coordinatore F. MontiConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Prevalence of congenital heart disease in Boxers in Italy

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of congenital heart disease in boxers in Italy by auscultation and echocardiography. METHODS: This randomized study involved 500 boxers. The inclusion criteria were that the animals should be asymptomatic, older than 1 year and with a pedigree. Dogs with a heart murmur underwent a complete echo-Doppler examination. The criteria for the diagnosis of aortic or pulmonic stenosis were: heart murmur on cardiac auscultation; direct imaging of the obstructive lesions; turbulent aortic or pulmonic flow with peak velocity of >2 m/sec and > 1.5 m/sec, respectively. RESULTS: 265 out of 500 dogs exhibited a heart murmur on cardiac auscultation. According to echo-Doppler examination, 89 (17.8%) dogs were affected with congenital heart disease. Subaortic stenosis and/or pulmonic stenosis accounted for all cases identified, although subaortic stenosis was more prevalent. Type I (63.75%) and Type II (21.25%) subaortic stenosis were the most common forms of the disease. Type A was the most prevalent type of pulmonic stenosis (74.2%). None of the dogs with a heart murmur of grade 1/6 or 2/6 complied with all the pre-selected criteria, and they were not considered to be affected with congenital heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of congenital heart disease in boxers in Italy appears to be very high (17.8%). In this study, subaortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis accounted for all identified heart diseases. These findings support a the suspicion of these diseases when a heart murmur is found in a boxer, but only Doppler echocardiography can differentiate between subaortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis