A pilot study to investigate the measurement of immunoglobulin A in Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals’ faeces and their dam’s milk

ABSTRACT

Aims: To determine if an ELISA for measurement of IgA in equine serum could be used to measure concentrations of IgA in foal faeces and to determine correlations with concentrations in the milk of the dam.

Methods: Faeces from 20 Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony foals and milk from their dams were collected within 12?hours (Day 0) and at 6 days after parturition (Day 6). On Day 6, faeces could not be collected from 2/20 foals, and milk samples could not be collected from 3/20 mares. An equine IgA ELISA validated for serum and plasma was used to measure concentrations of IgA in all samples in triplicate. The precision of the assay for each sample type was determined using modified CV.

Results: IgA was not detectable in 7/20 Day 0 faecal samples and in 2/18 Day 6 faecal samples. For samples with detectable IgA, the mean modified CV was 10.5 (95% CI?=?6.0–15.0)% for Day 0 faecal samples, and was 6.8 (95% CI?=?4.3–9.4)% for Day 6 faecal samples. Median concentrations of IgA in faeces on Day 0 were lower than concentrations on Day 6 (0.7?mg/g vs. 37?mg/g dry matter; p?=?0.003). Concentrations of IgA in milk and faeces on Day 6 were statistically correlated (r?=?0.59; p?=?0.006).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: The IgA ELISA showed acceptable precision when used to estimate concentrations of IgA in foal faeces during the first week of life, but IgA could not be detected in 37% of meconium samples collected on Day 0. This assay may be useful for investigation of the role of maternal milk IgA in the gastrointestinal tract of neonatal foals, but further assessment of both accuracy and precision of the ELISA is required.     

Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome in a Miniature Schnauzer Dog with Signs of Feminization and a Sertoli Cell Tumour

A 5‐year‐old male Miniature Schnauzer was presented with unilateral cryptorchidism and signs of feminization. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an enlarged right testis and a large, fluid‐filled cavity that appeared to arise from the prostate. Computed tomography revealed the cavity to be consistent with an enlarged uterine body, arising from the prostate, and showed two structures resembling uterine horns that terminated close to the adjacent testes. The dog had a normal male karyotype, 78 XY. Gonadohysterectomy was performed and both the surgical and the histological findings confirmed the presence of a uterus in this male animal, resulting in a diagnosis of persistent Mullerian duct syndrome (PMDS). The enlarged intra‐abdominal testis contained a Sertoli cell tumour. Computed tomography proved to be an excellent diagnostic tool for PMDS.     

Kinetics of the expression of CD163 and CD107a in the lung and tonsil of pigs after infection with PRRSV-1 strains of different virulence

Veterinary Research Communications - The emergence of virulent strains of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), causing atypical and severe outbreaks, has been notified...     

An immunohistochemical study of the tonsils in pigs with acute African swine fever virus infection

An immunohistochemical study of the tonsils was carried out to gain further insight in the pathogenesis of acute African swine fever (ASF). Twenty-one pigs were inoculated by intramuscular route with a highly virulent isolate of ASF virus and painlessly killed at 1-7dpi. Viral antigen was highly distributed in the tonsil from 3 to 4dpi and an increase in the number of monocyte-macrophages was very evident at the same days post inoculation. This phenomenon was observed together with an increase of the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (Tumour necrosis factor alpha and Interleukin-1 alpha) and the apoptosis of lymphocytes studied by the terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) technique and haemorrhages. With these results, we can conclude that the tonsil is suffering similar lesions than those observed in other lymphoid organs in acute African swine fever, even when the route of inoculation is the intramuscular and not oral-nasal.     

Endometrial Adenocarcinoma and Mucometra in a 6-year-old Alaska Malamute Dog

A 6-year-old female Alaska Malamute dog was presented for evaluation of abdominal enlargement referred by a local veterinarian. On the history, the owner complained of chronic abdominal enlargement initiated more than 4 months ago, reduced appetite, occasional vomiting and general dullness. He also complained of greenish mucous intermittent vaginal discharge starting 10 days ago. The bitch was chronically treated with medroxiprogesterone acetate. A laparatomy was performed and fluid in the abdomen was found and aspirated during the surgery. Also a very fluid-filled distended uterus and a mass in the distal part of the left uterine horn were found. The mass was encapsulated by the omentum, but areas of necrosis and calcification were identified. Histopathological diagnosis was endometrial adenocarcinoma.     

Reovirus infection in psittacine birds (Psittacus erithacus): morphologic and immunohistochemical study

In this paper we report on an outbreak of reovirus, herpesvirus (Pacheco disease), and/or mycosis infection (Aspergillus spp. and Zygomyces spp.) affecting a batch of young African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), with 80% morbidity and 30% mortality. Study material was taken from five birds (four dead and one euthanatized) with a range of clinical symptoms (depression, diarrhea, respiratory symptoms). Diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical detection of avian reovirus, electron microscopy, and virus isolation. Viral antigen of reovirus was detected mainly in large mononuclear cells in the bursa of Fabricius and the spleen, pancreas epithelial cells, and circulating cells; lymphoid organs displayed the largest number of immunopositive cells and severe lymphocyte depletion. Bacteriologic study was negative. Reovirus infection was common in all birds studied, whereas Pacheco disease and mycosis were found in only some, suggesting that reovirus could be the initial cause triggering the outbreak and facilitating infection by other agents and their swift spread through the batch.     

Filamentous Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies in Psittacine Birds. A Structural and Ultrastructural Study

This paper concerns a disease affecting a group of African grey parrots, which involves intranuclear inclusion bodies composed of filamentous material. The disease was characterized by either sudden death or death within 2–3 days from onset of non-specific symptoms. At necropsy, gross lesions included enlarged liver, mild hepatic congestion and focal necrosis. Samples from five birds were fixed in 10% formol and routinely processed for light and electron microscopy. In four birds, numerous hepatocytes displayed an enlarged nucleus, with peripheral margination of chromatin; the nucleus was partially or wholly filled by a basophilic inclusion body. In the remaining bird, inclusion bodies were acidophilic and completely filled the nucleus; nuclear enlargement was less evident than in the other birds. At ultrastructural examination, and in both types of IIB, nuclei contained looped filaments but no evidence of viral structures. However, virion-like structures were observed in the cytoplasm of some hepatocytes.     

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis derivatives harbouring deletions in rpoS and phoP regulatory genes are attenuated in pigs, and survive and multiply in porcine intestinal macrophages and fibroblasts, respectively

Live attenuated Salmonella enterica strains have been extensively studied as potential vectors for the oral delivery of heterologous antigens. Due to its ability to target immune cells, its specific mechanism for crossing the intestinal barrier, and its swine-restricted tropism, S. enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) has attracted a great deal of interest for the production of bacterial-based oral carriers specifically adapted to swine. In this study, two mutants of S. Choleraesuis were constructed and their attenuation and intracellular fate analysed with the purpose of engineering new attenuated live strains with improved properties as oral vaccine carriers. Those strains harboured a specific deletion either within the phoP or rpoS genes, which encode virulence-related regulators in S. Typhimurium. In comparison to the wild-type parental S. Choleraesuis, the mutant strains, especially DeltaphoP, were extremely low in virulence in the murine model and in the natural host, the pig. Moreover, when compared with a commercial live vaccine strain, SC-54, the two mutants showed a higher level of attenuation in mice and DeltaphoP also in pigs. In addition, DeltarpoS and DeltaphoP presented a proliferation and survival phenotype within swine intestinal primary fibroblast and macrophage cell cultures, respectively. Collectively, the present results indicate that the DeltarpoS and DeltaphoP strains of S. Choleraesuis gather adequate features to be potential candidates for vaccine vectors for the specific delivery of heterologous antigens adapted to pigs.     

Subnanometer-Diameter Wires Isolated in a Polymer Matrix by Fast Polymerization

The preparation and analysis of inorganic-organic polymer nanocomposites consisting of inorganic nanowires and multiwire "cables" in a random-coil organic polymer host is reported. Dissolution of inorganic (LiMo3Se3)n wires in a strongly coordinating monomer, vinylene carbonate, and the use of a rapid polymerization in the presence of a cross-linking agent produce nanocomposites without phase separation. Polymerization of dilute solutions yields a material containing mostly (Mo3Se3(-))n mono- and biwires, 6 to 20 angstroms in diameter and 50 to 100 nanometers long. Polymerization of more concentrated liquid crystalline solutions yields a nanocomposite containing oriented multiwire cables, 20 to 40 angstroms in diameter and up to 1500 nanometers long, that display optical anisotropy and electrical conductivity.