Humoral Antibody Response to Experimental Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpes Infection in the Dog

Abstract— Humoral antibody responses to experimental Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpes infection in 10 beagle dogs were demonstrated by an ELISA in three experiments. In the first experiment, four dogs, infected with a relatively high dose of S. scabiei, seroconverted 2 weeks post infection. All four animals showed clinical signs of sarcoptic mange. In the second experiment, six dogs were infected with a relatively low dose of S. scabiei. Three of the dogs developed clinical signs of sarcoptic mange and only in these three were antibodies to S. scabiei demonstrated. Seroconversion occurred 4–5 weeks post infection. The six dogs infected with a low dose of Sarcoptes were re-infected with a relatively low dose of mites 7 weeks after the spontaneous clinical recovery of the three dogs that had exhibited mange following the primary infection. The later three dogs showed a specific antibody response within 1 week and the other three dogs within 2 weeks following the re-infection. Resumen En tres experimentos se demostraron las respuestas humorales de anticuerpos a la infección con Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpes en 10 perros de la raza Beagle por medio de pruebas ELISA. En el primer experimento cuatro de los perros infectados con una dosis relativamente alta de Sarcoptes, seroconvirtieron 2 semanas despues de la infección. Estos cuatro animales mostraban cuadro clínico de infección. En un segundo experimento seis de los perros se sometieron a una dosis relativamente baja del ácaro. Solo tres de estos perros demostraron cuadro clínico de la infección, y en éstos animales exclusivamente se encontraron anticuerpos de S. scabiei. Cinco o seis semanas después de la infección se produjo la seroconversión de los mismos. Los seis perros infectados con una dosis baja se volvieron a re-infectar con otra dosis relativamente baja siete semanas después de la recuperatión clínica espontánea de los tres perros que habían padecido el cuadro clínico de la sarna, después de la infección previa. Los últimos tres perros produjeron una respuesta de anticuerpos específica en una semana, y los otros tres perros en dos semanas después de la infección.     

青海黄牛血清运铁蛋白多态性研究

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法对１００头青海黄牛的血清运铁蛋白多态性进行了研究。结果发现：青海黄牛血清运铁蛋白位点存在ＴＦ￣Ａ，ＴＦ￣Ｂ，ＴＦ￣Ｄ１，ＴＦ￣Ｄ２，ＴＦ￣Ｆ，ＴＦ￣Ｅ６个等位基因，总共构成１３个基因型。与国内１２个品种黄牛的遗传距离和聚类分析表明，青海黄牛与蒙古牛的亲缘关系最近（Ｄｍ＝０．１１７８）。     

禽霍乱免疫母鸡血清抗体和蛋黄抗体消长规律及其相互关系的研究

通过对禽霍乱菌苗免疫产蛋母鸡的血清和蛋黄的抗体定时检测后发现，免疫母鸡的血清抗体和蛋黄抗体的升降趋势基本一致（ｒ＝０．９４），但后者较前者迟后３～６ｄ；血清抗体和蛋黄抗体的滴度分别在加强免疫后的１～３ｄ和３～６ｄ都有不同程度下降，加强免疫前的滴度越高，免疫后的滴度下降幅度越大；蛋黄抗体水平普遍比血清抗体水平低，两者间的差异极显著（Ｐ＜０．０１），这可能是与禽多杀性巴氏杆菌本身的主要抗原成分（ＴＩ抗原）在鸡体内主要产金ＩｇＭ有关。     

A non-radiometric method for measuring serum thymidine kinase activity in malignant lymphoma in dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for determination of serum thymidine kinase 1 (sTK1) activity in dogs with malignant lymphoma (ML) and compare it with a thymidine kinase (TK) radioenzymatic assay (TK-REA). The TK-REA has recently been shown to be useful in determining the clinical stage and prognosis in canine ML. In addition, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was measured. Forty-five dogs were included in the study. Sixty serum samples from these dogs, stored in a tumour serum sample bank (stored at -20 degrees C), were analysed. Apart from 37 dogs with ML, four normal dogs as well as two dogs with mammary carcinomas, one dog with bladder carcinoma, and one dog with malignant fibrous histiocytoma were included. Staging of ML was based on the modified World Health Organization (WHO) staging system for canine ML. The diagnosis of all tumours was verified by histopathology. The TK activity (units per litre [U/L]) ranged from 1.0 to 607.9 in the TK-REA analysis and from 1.1 to 510 in the TK-ELISA (normal reference value <7U/L). The range for LDH was between 12 and 1194 U/L (normal reference value <228 U/L). There was a significant correlation between the TK-REA and the TK-ELISA. The correlation coefficient (CC) was 0.97 and the standard error of the estimate (SEE) was 3.7 U/L. There was no correlation between LDH and either the TK-REA or the TK-ELISA (CC=0.53 for both assays; SEE=26.7 and 12.7 U/L, respectively). Most of the variation in LDH was still within the normal reference range. The mean LDH in dogs with high-stage (stage IV+V) disease was 201.9 U/L. The corresponding values for the TK-REA and TK-ELISA were 109 and 109.9 U/L, respectively. The significant relation between the TK-REA and the TK-ELISA was confirmed by Bland-Altman analysis. The TK-ELISA assay, because of its relative simplicity, will permit measurement of TK in cases of ML in dogs to become a routine procedure.     

Serum amyloid A isoforms in serum and synovial fluid in horses with lipopolysaccharide-induced arthritis

The aim of the study was to determine the intraarticular serum amyloid A (SAA) response pattern in horses with inflammatory arthritis. Inflammatory arthritis was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the radiocarpal joint of four horses. Serum and synovial fluid (SF) samples were collected before and at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 144 h after injection. Concentrations of SAA were measured by immunoturbidometry, and expression of SAA isoforms was visualized by denaturing isoelectric focusing and Western blotting. The LPS injection caused systemic and local clinical signs of inflammation. Serum amyloid A appeared in serum and SF within 8 h after LPS injection. Isoelectric focusing showed three major SAA bands with apparent isoelectric points (pI) of 7.9, 8.6, and >9.3 in serum and SF. Synovial fluid contained two additional isoforms with highly alkaline apparent pI values (apparent pI value extrapolated from standard curve = 10.0 and 10.2), which were not present in any of the serum samples. In conclusion, intraarticular injection of LPS induced systemic and local inflammatory responses in the horses. By demonstrating SF-specific SAA isoforms the results of the present study suggest that SAA is synthesized locally in the equine inflamed joint, similar to what has been demonstrated in humans previously. The marked local SAA synthesis suggests an important pathophysiological role in inflammatory arthritis.     

青海省湟源县本地黄牛四项血清钙指标的测定

对30头湟源县本地黄牛的4项血清钙指标进行了测定。结果表明：犊牛的血清总钙、血清结合钙和血清游离钙含量均显著高于成年牛（P＜0．01），而两者的血清游离钙百分率相似（P＞0．05）。     

Monitoring the circadian rhythm of serum and salivary cortisol concentrations in the horse

Daily fluctuations of cortisol concentration in the blood or saliva have been repeatedly reported. However, several contradictions in the existing literature appear on this subject. The present study was performed to definitively establish options for testing adrenocortical function. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate parallel circadian rhythms in salivary and serum cortisol concentrations during a 24-h period. Twenty horses were examined under the same conditions. Blood and saliva samples were taken every 2 h for 24 h to determine the daily changes in cortisol concentrations of saliva and serum at rest and to determine the relationship between salivary and serum cortisol levels. Cosinor analysis of group mean data confirmed a significant circadian component for both serum and salivary cortisol concentrations (P < 0.001 in both cases). The serum cortisol circadian rhythm had an acrophase at 10:50 AM (95% CI, 10:00 AM–11:40 AM), a MESOR of 22.67 ng/mL, and an amplitude of 11.93 ng/mL. The salivary cortisol circadian rhythm had an acrophase at 10:00 AM (95% CI, 9:00 AM–11:00 AM), a MESOR of 0.52 ng/mL, and an amplitude of 0.12 ng/mL. We found a significant but weak association between salivary and serum cortisol concentrations; the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.32 (P < 0.001). The use of salivary cortisol level as an indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may be warranted. However, the salivary cortisol levels are more likely to be correlated with free plasma cortisol than with the total plasma cortisol concentration.     

黄芪多糖对犬血清免疫球蛋白、IFN-γ水平及分泌型IgA表达的影响

旨在研究黄芪多糖对犬血清中免疫球蛋白和γ干扰素水平及分泌型IgA表达的影响。将18只1岁龄健康比格犬随机分为3组,每组6只,分别为对照组、低剂量组(基础日粮+以生药计w=1%的黄芪多糖)和高剂量组(基础日粮+以生药计w=2%的黄芪多糖),试验期14d。在第0、7、14天采集血清,用ELISA法检测血清中免疫球蛋白(IgA、IgG、IgM)及γ干扰素(IFN-γ)水平。第14天时,全部犬解剖,采集十二指肠、空肠中段和回肠,用RT-qPCR法检测IgA mRNA相对表达量,免疫组化法(IHC)检测肠黏膜SIgA蛋白的表达情况。结果显示,与对照组相比,黄芪多糖组犬血清中IgA、IgG、IgM和IFN-γ水平显著升高,犬肠黏膜SIgA蛋白表达量显著升高。表明黄芪多糖能显著提高犬血清中IgA、IgG、IgM和IFN-γ水平,促进犬小肠IgAmRNA和SIgA蛋白表达,提高机体免疫力。     

Changes in blood biomarkers in Arabian horses with Clostridium difficile-induced enterocolitis

Clostridium difficile (CD) is considered a major health care problem both in developing and developed countries; frequently reported to be associated with enterocolitis and diarrhea in horses and other animals. In this study, we examined acute phase response (APR), cytokines response, neopterin (NP) procalcitonin (PCT) production and oxidative stress condition in horses and foals with C. difficile-induced enterocolitis (CDIE) and evaluated the effectiveness of these parameters as biomarkers for the disease. A total of 407 Arabian horses in 35 stables were examined between January 2017 to December 2018. Only 24 out of 407 horses showed two or more signs of CDIE. The blood level of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (HP), proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL1-β), serum malondialdehyde (MDA), PCT and NPT in horses with CDIE were higher than in healthy horses. Nevertheless, the levels of nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant concentration (TAC) were considerably lower in diseased horses compared to those that were healthy. The ROC curves for eleven selected blood parameters, both in healthy horses and horses with CDIE demonstrated that all examined blood markers had significant levels of differentiation between CDIE cases and healthy controls (AUC > 87.5). The data in this study suggest that the evaluation of acute-phase proteins, cytokines, PCT, NPT, and oxidative stress biomarkers may well be used as a tool for diagnosis and assessment of CDIE and in disease pathogenesis in Arabian horses.