28 research outputs found
Feline exocrine pancreatic insufficiency : a retrospective study of 150 cases
BACKGROUND : Little information is available about the clinical presentation and response to treatment of cats with exocrine
pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).
OBJECTIVES : To describe the signalment, clinical signs, concurrent diseases, and response to treatment of cats with EPI.
ANIMALS : One hundred and fifty cats with EPI.
METHODS : Retrospective case series.
RESULTS : Questionnaires were sent to 261 veterinarians, and 150 (57%) were returned with data suitable for statistical
analysis. The median age of the cats with EPI was 7.7 years. The median body condition score was 3 of 9. Ninety-two of
119 cats (77%) had hypocobalaminemia, and 56 of 119 cats (47%) had increased and 6 of 119 cats (5%) had decreased
serum folate concentrations. Clinical signs included weight loss (91%), unformed feces (62%), poor hair coat (50%), anorexia
(45%), increased appetite (42%), lethargy (40%), watery diarrhea (28%), and vomiting (19%). Eighty-seven cats
(58%) had concurrent diseases. Treatment response was reported to be good in 60%, partial in 27%, and poor in 13% of
121 cats. Trypsin-like immunoreactivity <4 lg/L was associated with a positive response to treatment (OR, 3.2; 95% CI,
1.5–7.0; P = .004). Also, cobalamin supplementation improved the response to treatment (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.4–6.6;
P = .006).
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE : Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in cats often has a different clinical presentation
than in dogs. The age range for EPI in cats is wide, and many cats can be ≤5 years of age. Most cats respond well to appropriate
treatment for EPI, and cobalamin supplementation appears to be necessary for a good response.Some of the results of this study were presented at the 2012
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum, New
Orleans, LA.http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0891-6640/am2017Production Animal Studie
Homocysteine in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome
OBJECTIVES - To compare serum concentrations of homocysteine (Hcy) in dogs fitting
the criteria for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and healthy dogs,
and compare these values to commonly measured B-vitamins.
METHODS – Study dogs were classified into noninfectious SIRS or sepsis groups and
blood was drawn on Day 1 of the patient’s hospitalization for the measurement of Hcy,
folate and cobalamin concentrations. Hcy was measured in 51 clinically normal dogs to
serve as the control group.
RESULTS - A statistically significant difference was found between the Hcy
concentrations of the healthy group when compared to noninfectious SIRS and sepsis
groups. Hcy values were not correlated with folate, cobalamin or APPLEfast severity
scores. Hcy concentrations were significantly lower in sick dogs when compared to the
control group, which is dissimilar to the human population.
CLINICAL SIGNIFCANCE - The clinical significance of Hcy changes in critically ill dogs is
currently unknown.http://aac.asm.orghb2014ab201
A pilot study to assess tolerability of early enteral nutrition via esophagostomy tube feeding in dogs with severe acute pancreatitis
Background: The putative role of the gut in amplification of systemic inflammation in acute pancreatitis is gaining credence, and intraluminal nutrition has been shown to decrease inflammation in experimental models of pancreatitis. Prepyloric feeding often is used in people with acute pancreatitis, but has not been evaluated in dogs. Hypothesis: Early intervention with enteral nutrition (EN) delivered proximal to the pylorus will be well tolerated in dogs with acute pancreatitis and provide justification for further larger trials. Animals: Ten dogs with severe acute pancreatitis in an open-label, prospective pilot study. Methods: Dogs were treated with plasma transfusion and standard care, and then consecutively assigned to receive either EN via esophagostomy tube feeding or parenteral nutrition (PN). Outcome was used to determine optimal study size for future studies, and complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results: A significantly greater number of vomiting or regurgitating episodes occurred in dogs receiving PN. The dogs receiving EN did not demonstrate any noticeable postprandial pain. There were more catheter-related complications in the PN group. There was no difference in outcome between the 2 treatments, and 43 dogs for each treatment would be required in future studies to determine a difference in outcome. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Early EN delivered proximal to the pylorus is well tolerated in dogs with severe pancreatitis and resulted in fewer complications than PN. Prospective trials in a larger cohort are justified to fully establish the potential benefit of early EN, preferably compared with minimal enteral nutrition
Effects of the Probiotic VSL#3 in Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Abstract contenuto negli atti del Convegn
Serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and lipoprotein profiles in dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and healthy control dogs
Background: Previous studies have reported an association between hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis in dogs, but details of this association remain poorly defined. Hypothesis/Objectives: To compare serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and lipoprotein profiles between dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and healthy dogs. Animals: Seventeen dogs with a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis (Group 1) and 53 healthy control dogs (Group 2). Methods: Prospective case-control study. Results: In Group 1, 3/17 dogs (18%) had hypertriglyceridemia whereas in Group 2, 4/53 dogs (7.5%) had hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio [OR], 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-13.14; P =.35). A significant difference was found in serum triglyceride concentrations between Group 1 (median, 67 mg/dL) and Group 2 (median, 54 mg/dL; P =.002). In Group 1, 4/17 dogs (24%) had hypercholesterolemia, whereas 1/53 (1.9%) dogs in Group 2 had hypercholesterolemia (OR, 16; 95% CI, 1.64-155.5; P =.01). No significant difference was found in serum cholesterol concentrations between Group 1 (median, 209 mg/dL) and Group 2 (median, 227 mg/dL; P =.56). Lipoprotein profiles were significantly different between Group 1 and Group 2 dogs (Eigenvalues, 0.6719; R2 = 1.0; P =.001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Most dogs with pancreatitis (>70%) had serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations within reference intervals. In the small percentage of dogs that had hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, or both, increases were mild. Important differences were identified in lipoprotein profiles between dogs with pancreatitis and healthy control dogs. Dogs with pancreatitis had higher low-density lipoprotein fractions and lower triglyceride-rich lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein fractions than healthy dogs. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity and trypsin-like immunoreactivity concentrations in cats with experimentally induced chronic kidney disease
Background: Serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) and trypsin-like immunoreactivity (fTLI) concentrations are commonly used in cats for the evaluation of pancreatic disease. The effect of kidney disease on these tests in cats are unknown. Objective: To investigate the effect of experimentally induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) on serum fPLI and fTLI concentrations. Animals: Surplus serum samples from 20 cats with CKD experimentally induced for an unrelated project and a group of healthy control cats. Methods: Serum fTLI and fPLI concentrations were compared between groups. Results: Mean (±SD) serum fTLI concentrations in 20 cats with CKD (117.8 ± 63.6 μg/L) were significantly higher than those in healthy cats (n = 32; 46.9 ± 17.5 μg/L; P <.0001). Serum fTLI concentrations in cats with CKD were above the upper limit of the reference interval in 13 of 20 cats (65%). Serum fPLI concentrations were not significantly different between cats with induced CKD (n = 18; 8.6 μg/L; range, 5.4-9.9 μg/L) and healthy cats (n = 41; 7.4 μg/L; range, 5.0-15.2 μg/L; P =.12). All cats with experimentally induced CKD had serum fPLI concentrations within the reference interval. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Decreased renal function has a clinically relevant impact on serum fTLI concentrations and potentially could interfere with a diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Serum fPLI concentration was not affected by experimentally induced CKD and thus serum fPLI may be used for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats with kidney disease. Additional studies are needed to verify these results in cats with naturally occurring CKD. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Association of serum calprotectin (S100A8/A9) concentrations and idiopathic hyperlipidemia in Miniature Schnauzers
Background: Idiopathic hyperlipidemia (IH) is a common condition in Miniature Schnauzers (MS). Studies in people have linked IH to low-grade inflammation, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of IH complications. The role of inflammation in MS with IH is unknown. Objective: Evaluation of the inflammatory markers serum calprotectin and S100A12 in MS with IH and in response to dietary intervention for IH management. Animals: One-hundred fifty clinically healthy MS. Methods: Serum triglyceride, cholesterol, calprotectin, and S100A12 concentrations were measured before and after placing the dogs on an ultra-low fat diet. Results: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTGL, P <.001) and hypercholesterolemia (HCHOL, P =.01) were independently associated with increased serum calprotectin but not S100A12 concentrations. Compared to normolipidemic MS, serum calprotectin concentrations were significantly higher in MS with HTGL (P <.001) or combined hyperlipidemia (P =.02), but not those with isolated HCHOL (P = 1.0000). Presence (P =.005) and severity (P =.003) of HTGL and serum cholesterol concentrations (P =.04) decreased in MS with IH within 14-26 weeks after being placed on the ultra-low fat diet, but neither serum calprotectin nor S100A12 concentrations changed significantly with this dietary intervention. Conclusions and clinical importance: Subclinical (low-grade) inflammation appears to be present in some MS with IH, and an ultra-low fat diet does not decrease serum concentrations of inflammatory proteins in those dogs. Whether this presumed inflammatory phenotype in MS with IH is associated with the development of IH complications (eg, insulin resistance) requires further research. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Probiotics Restoring the Pattern of Apical Junction Complex Protein (AJC) Expression in the Intestinal Mucosa of Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Introduction: The apical junction complex (AJC) plays a significant role in regulating epithelial paracellular permeability.
Materials and Methods: We have studied by immunohistochemistry the distribution of tight junction components (claudin-2, occludin) and adherens junction (E-cadherin) proteins in the normal intestinal tract from three control dogs (CD) and from 10 dogs with IBD, before and after a probiotic treatment (VSL#3, VSL Pharmaceuticals, Inc; 450 billion lyophilized bacteria daily for 60 days).
Results: In the CD group, occludin-specific labelling was most intense at the epithelial cell AJC and appeared uniformly expressed throughout the epithelium of the small and large intestine, but in the IBD group a weak to absent expression was observed in luminal epithelium and in some intestinal glands of the small intestine. No differences in the distribution or labelling intensity of E-cadherin were observed between normal and affected dogs. In the CD group, claudin-2 was detected in the duodenal epithelium and glands and in the colonic crypt epithelium, decreasing in intensity from the distal to the proximal crypt and becoming barely detectable at the luminal surface of the colon. However, claudin-2 expression was increased in the proximal crypt and luminal epithelium of all dogs with IBD.
Conclusions: The observation that the expression and distribution of occludin and claudin-2 were restored after VSL#3 treatment may provide insight into the effects of probiotics on intestinal barrier function
Serum cobalamin concentrations in dogs with leishmaniosis before and during treatment
Hypocobalaminemia in dogs is most commonly associated with gastrointestinal disorders leading to impaired absorption and utilization of cobalamin. The objectives of this study were to compare serum cobalamin concentrations between dogs with leishmaniosis and clinically healthy dogs, and to assess possible alterations of serum cobalamin concentrations in dogs with leishmaniosis at different timepoints during treatment. Fifty-five dogs with leishmaniosis and 129 clinically healthy dogs were prospectively enrolled. Diagnosis of leishmaniosis was based on clinical presentation, positive serology and microscopic detection of Leishmania amastigotes in lymph node aspiration smears. Twenty of the dogs with leishmaniosis were treated with a combination of meglumine antimonate and allopurinol for 28 days and serum cobalamin concentrations were measured in blood samples that were collected before initiation of treatment (timepoint 0) and on days 14 and 28. In order to estimate alterations of serum cobalamin concentrations during treatment, cobalamin concentrations were measured in blood samples from 20 out of 55 dogs with leishmaniosis at all timepoints. Serum cobalamin concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with leishmaniosis before treatment (median: 362 ng/L; IQR: 277−477 ng/L) compared to clinically healthy dogs (median: 470 ng/L; IQR: 367−632 ng/L; P = 0.0035). Serum cobalamin concentrations increased significantly in dogs with leishmaniosis on day 14 of treatment compared to timepoint 0 (P = 0.02). In the present study, serum cobalamin concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with leishmaniosis compared to clinically healthy dogs. In addition, there was an increase in serum cobalamin concentrations during treatment. The clinical significance of hypocobalaminemia in dogs with leishmaniosis remains to be determined. © 2021 Elsevier Lt
Associations among serum insulin, calprotectin, and C-reactive protein concentrations in Miniature Schnauzers with idiopathic hyperlipidemia before and after feeding an ultra-low-fat diet
Background: Miniature Schnauzers (MS) commonly have idiopathic hypertriglyceridemia (HTGL), which is associated with insulin resistance (IR) and a subclinical inflammatory phenotype. Objectives: Determine the association between indicators of IR and inflammatory biomarkers in MS with and without HTGL and identify how indicators of IR are affected by dietary intervention in MS with HTGL. Animals: Seventy MS with HTGL and 79 MS without HTGL. In addition, 15 MS with HTGL were placed on a low-fat diet. Methods: Serum concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, calprotectin, insulin, and glucose were compared between groups. Results: Serum glucose and calprotectin concentrations (shown to be higher in MS with HTGL than in MS without HTGL) were inversely correlated (ρ = −.28; P <.001). After dietary intervention, median serum insulin concentrations were 8.1 mU/L compared to 20.8 mU/L before dietary intervention (P =.06). Dogs with complete resolution of HTGL after dietary intervention (5 dogs) had significantly lower serum insulin concentrations compared to baseline (P =.03). Conclusion and Clinical Importance: The subclinical inflammatory phenotype in MS with HTGL appears to be associated with IR. Resolution of HTGL by dietary intervention is associated with a decrease in serum insulin concentrations. The implication of the increase in serum calprotectin concentrations after resolution of HTGL warrants further study. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine