53 research outputs found
Budd-chiari-like syndrome associated with a pheochromocytoma invading the right atrium in a dog
An 8 year-old spayed female Jack Russell Terrier dog was presented with severe abdominal distension due
to ascites and discomfort of five days duration. Abdominal ultrasound revealed ascites and a mass invading
the caudal vena cava pointing to Budd-Chiari-like syndrome (BCLS). The peritoneal fluid was a modified
transudate. The BCLS was a result of a left adrenal mass that invaded the caudal vena cava to a length of 14
cm, up to the right atrium. A phaeochromocytoma was highly suspected and due to its aggressiveness and
poor prognosis the dog was euthanized. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology after post mortem.
This is a rare case of a 14 cm-long phaeochromocytoma associated with BCLS illustrating the in vivo diagnostic
approach. A phaeochromocytoma should be considered in cases presenting with BCLS.http://www.isrvma.orgmn201
Congenital hypothyroidism and concurrent renal insufficiency in a kitten
A 3-month-old male domestic short-hair kitten was presented with chronic constipation
and disproportionate dwarfism. Radiographs of the long bones and spine revealed delayed
epiphyseal ossification and epiphyseal dysgenesis. Diagnosis of congenital primary
hypothyroidism was confirmed by low serum total thyroxine and high thyroid stimulating
hormone concentrations. Appropriate supplementation of levothyroxine was instituted. The
kitten subsequently developed mild renal azotaemia and renal proteinuria, possibly as a
consequence of treatment or an unmasked congenital renal developmental abnormality. Early
recognition, diagnosis and treatment are vital as alleviation of clinical signs may depend on
the cat’s age at the time of diagnosis.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201
Hypovitaminosis D in dogs with spirocercosis
BACKGROUND : Spirocercosis in dogs is characterized by esophageal nodules that can undergo neoplastic transformation.
Hypovitaminosis D has been associated with neoplasia formation. We hypothesized hypovitaminosis D in neoplastic
spirocercosis and that it could be a risk factor for neoplastic transformation.
OBJECTIVE : To measure and compare vitamin D status, assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations
in non-neoplastic (n = 25) and neoplastic (n = 26) spirocercosis client-owned dogs and healthy dogs (n = 24).
ANIMALS : Twenty-five non-neoplastic dogs, 26 neoplastic dogs, and 24 healthy dogs.
METHODS : Fifty-one dogs were randomly selected from 119 dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis presenting to our hospital,
and further divided into non-neoplastic or neoplastic groups. Exclusion criteria included dogs less than 1 year old, with
concurrent diseases, received corticosteroids, or treated prophylactically for spirocercosis. Serum 25(OH)D concentration
was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Spirocercosis dogs’ appetites were graded and compared.
RESULTS : Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly different among all groups (P < .001). 25-Hydroxyvitamin
D concentrations were significantly lower in neoplastic group (median 30.7 nmol/L [range 14.7–62.2]) compared to nonneoplastic
(median 52.7 nmol/L [range 19.1–129.7, P < .05]) and healthy groups (median 74.6 nmol/L [range 37.4–130.5,
P < .005]). 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were significantly lower in non-neoplastic spirocercosis dogs compared
to healthy ones (P < .05). Neoplastic and non-neoplastic spirocercosis dogs had similar appetite scores (P = 1.0). 25-
Hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were not significantly different between dogs with normal (P = .087) and abnormal
(P = .125) appetites within neoplastic and non-neoplastic spirocercosis groups.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE : Further studies are warranted to determine potential use of vitamin D treatment
in spirocercosis and explore role of hypovitaminosis D in pathogenesis of malignant transformation.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1939-1676hb2014mn201
Vitamin D status in dogs with babesiosis
Canine babesiosis is a virulent infection of dogs in South Africa caused principally by Babesia
rossi. Hypovitaminosis D has been reported in a wide range of infectious diseases in humans
and dogs, and low vitamin D status has been associated with poor clinical outcomes.
However, the relationship between vitamin D status and canine babesiosis has not been
investigated. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the
presence and severity of B. rossi infection and vitamin D status of infected dogs. Owners
with dogs with a confirmed diagnosis of B. rossi infection and of healthy control dogs
were invited to enrol onto the study. Vitamin D status was assessed by measurement of
serum concentrations of the major circulating vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxyvitamin
D (25[OH]D). Dogs with babesiosis (n = 34) had significantly lower mean serum 25(OH)D
concentrations than healthy dogs (n = 24) (37.76 ± 21.25 vs. 74.2 ± 20.28 nmol/L). The effect
of babesiosis on serum 25(OH)D concentrations was still significant after adjusting for any
effect of age, body weight and sex. There was a negative relationship between serum 25(OH)
D concentrations and disease severity in dogs with babesiosis. Serum concentrations of
creatinine and alanine aminotransferase and time to last meal were not associated with
serum 25(OH)D concentrations in dogs with babesiosis. In conclusion, dogs with Babesia
rossi infections had lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than healthy dogs. The inverse
correlation between 25(OH)D concentrations and the clinical severity score indicate that
hypovitaminosis D might be a helpful additional indicator of disease severity.http://www.ojvr.orgam2019Companion Animal Clinical Studie
Theileriosis in six dogs in South Africa and its potential clinical significance
Please read abstract in the article.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201
Two Host Factors Regulate Persistence of H7a-Specific T Cells Injected in Tumor-Bearing Mice
BACKGROUND: Injection of CD8 T cells primed against immunodominant minor histocompatibility antigens (MiHA) such as H7(a) can eradicate leukemia and solid tumors. To understand why MiHA-targeted T cells have such a potent antitumor effect it is essential to evaluate their in vivo behavior. In the present work, we therefore addressed two specific questions: what is the proliferative dynamics of H7(a)-specifc T cells in tumors, and do H7(a)-specific T cells persist long-term after adoptive transfer? METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By day 3 after adoptive transfer, we observed a selective infiltration of melanomas by anti-H7(a) T cells. Over the next five days, anti-H7(a) T cells expanded massively in the tumor but not in the spleen. Thus, by day 8 after injection, anti-H7(a) T cells in the tumor had undergone more cell divisions than those in the spleen. These data strongly suggest that anti-H7(a) T cells proliferate preferentially and extensively in the tumors. We also found that two host factors regulated long-term persistence of anti-H7(a) memory T cells: thymic function and expression of H7(a) by host cells. On day 100, anti-H7(a) memory T cells were abundant in euthymic H7(a)-negative (B10.H7(b)) mice, present in low numbers in thymectomized H7(a)-positive (B10) hosts, and undetectable in euthymic H7(a)-positive recipients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although in general the tumor environment is not propitious to T-cell invasion and expansion, the present work shows that this limitation may be overcome by adoptive transfer of primed CD8 T cells targeted to an immunodominant MiHA (here H7(a)). At least in some cases, prolonged persistence of adoptively transferred T cells may be valuable for prevention of late cancer relapse in adoptive hosts. Our findings therefore suggest that it may be advantageous to target MiHAs with a restricted tissue distribution in order to promote persistence of memory T cells and thereby minimize the risk of cancer recurrence
The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
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