猫血巴尔通体研究概况

猫血巴尔通体是引起猫发生传染性贫血的病原之一,在分类学上归属于立克次体目、无形体科.最近有很多新的研究指出这类病原体应归属于支原体目,"血巴尔通体"和"附红细胞体"也应该合称为"血营养性支原体"(Hemotrophic mycoplasmas).猫血巴尔通体作为血营养性支原体的重要代表,己经被广泛深入地研究,文章对其病原学、流行病学、发病机制、防治等方面的研究成果进行回顾与总结,以期对本病有进一步认识,对其他血营养性支原体的研究提供参考.     

Use of dried blood smears for detection of feline hemoplasmas using real-time polymerase chain reaction

The objective of the current study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) for feline hemoplasmas when applied to DNA extracted from dried whole-blood smears in comparison to that for DNA extracted from liquid whole blood. Blood samples were collected into ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid tubes from 305 cats with possible or suspected hemoplasmosis, and dried blood smears from each sample were prepared. DNA was extracted from blood smears and a 160-microl aliquot of each liquid blood sample by using a robotic extractor and was subjected to real-time PCR for feline glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (liquid blood), 18S ribosomal RNA (dried blood), and "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum", Mycoplasma haemofelis, and "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" DNA. When using the results for liquid whole blood as the gold standard, the sensitivity of each assay for "Ca. M. haemominutum", M. haemofelis, and "Ca. M. turicensis" was 49 of 66 (74%), 11 of 13 (85%), and 11 of 20 (55%), respectively. The specificity of each assay was 224 of 234 (96%), 287 of 287 (100%), and 280 of 280 (100%), respectively. When possible, liquid blood samples should be submitted for detection of feline hemoplasmas by using real-time PCR. The improved sensitivity of real-time PCR on blood smears for M. haemofelis compared with that of the other hemoplasma species may reflect the higher organism burdens associated with infection with this species.     

Nucleated erythrocytes in blood smears of dogs undergoing chemotherapy

The frequency of normoblastemia in dogs receiving chemotherapy is unknown. To provide this information, we calculated the percentage and number of nucleated erythrocytes (nRBCs) in blood of dogs treated for lymphoma (n = 284), mast cell tumour (n = 40) or carcinoma (n = 46). Relative normoblastemia (>1 or >5%) and absolute normoblastemia (>0.1 or >0.4 × 10³ µL^?1) were found after administration of vincristine (49.3, 20.5, 42.5, 19.2%, respectively), carboplatin (37.0, 2.2, 34.8, 13.0%), cyclophosphamide (30.8, 7.7, 23.1, 7.7%), doxorubicin (25.0, 8.3, 21.7, 6.7%), vinblastine and prednisone (25.0; 5.0; 22.5; 7.5%). Absolute normoblastemia was very severe (>1.0 × 10³ nRBC µL^?1) after administration of vincristine (9.6%), doxorubicin (3.3%), vinblastine and prednisone (2.5%). Absolute normoblastemia negatively correlated with RBC counts (P < 0.001) and positively (P < 0.001) with reticulocyte and WBC counts, but correlation coefficients were low (?0.19, 0.37, 0.15). Vincristine, doxorubicin or vinblastine and prednisone may induce severe normoblastemia. This may increase WBC counts and mask neutropenia associated with chemotherapy.     

A novel haemoplasma species identified in archived primate blood smears

In order to confirm a microscopic diagnosis of 'eperythrozoonosis' made over 40 years ago in a captive owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus), DNA was extracted from archived fixed and stained blood smears and subjected to generic haemotropic mycoplasma (haemoplasma) quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and a human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase qPCR as an amplification control. The qPCRs confirmed the extraction of host DNA from the samples and the presence of a haemoplasma species. Partial 16S rRNA and ribonuclease P ribosomal gene fragments were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. Sequence data and phylogeny showed the owl monkey haemoplasma to lie in the haemominutum clade of haemoplasmas, most closely related to 'Candidatus Mycoplasma kahaneii'. This study confirms the use of generic haemoplasma qPCRs to successfully amplify haemoplasma DNA from fixed, stained and archived blood smears from the early 1970s and provides molecular confirmation of the existence of a novel haemoplasma species in an owl monkey, for which the name 'Candidatus Mycoplasma aoti' sp. nov. is proposed.     

Estimation of platelet counts on feline blood smears

Blood samples were obtained from 50 cats admitted for hematologic evaluation at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. Manual platelet counts were done using a hemacytometer, and the average number of platelets per oil immersion field (1,000X magnification) was determined on stained blood smears. A hemacytometer count was not obtained for one sample because of a failure in erythrocyte lysing. In nine samples, obvious platelet clumps in the blood smear prevented accurate determination of the number of platelets per oil immersion field. Hemacytometer counts on these nine samples ranged from 260-587 X 10 (3) platelets/microliter, suggesting that platelet clumps on a blood smear were usually associated with adequate platelet numbers. Simple regression analysis of hemacytometer counts and the average umber of platelets per oil immersion field for the remaining 40 samples yielded correlation coefficients (r) of 0.776 on untransformed data, and 0.892 on log10-transformed data. Each platelet per oil immersion field represented a circulating platelet count of approximately 20 X 10(3)/microliter, similar to conversion factors reported for dogs and human beings. It was concluded that estimation of platelet number on stained blood smears is a simple and quick method that appears to be reliable over a wide range of platelet counts in cats.     

Use of a polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of Haemobartonella canis in a dog.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) originally developed for detection of Haemobartonella felis in cats was successfully used for detection of H canis in an 8-year-old spayed Great Dane. The dog had been splenectomized and was undergoing immunosuppressive chemotherapy at the time of diagnosis. Sequence analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene revealed that the Haemobartonella spp infecting this dog was 97% homologous to the sequence previously reported for the Ohio strain of H felis. Clinical and hematologic abnormalities as well as identification of the organisms by use of light and electron microscopy supported the diagnosis of H canis. The PCR assay used for detection of H felis may be useful for the detection of H canis in dogs prior to blood donation, splenectomy, or treatment with immunosuppressive drugs.     

Haemobartonella canis (Kiküth, 1928) in the blood of dogs with parvovirus disease

In the Tours area of the Val-de Loire, haemograms carried out in 40 dogs with canine parvovirus disease showed that in 30 cases the viral infection was complicated by canine haemobartonellosis. To the picture, typical of the former infection, were added very severe anaemia, fever, locomotor difficulties, arthralgia, adenopathy, respiratory difficulties (dyspnoea, polypnoea and anoxia) and circulatory disorders (tachycardia and capillary fragility). The blood picture was markedly abnormal, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis and anisochromia, being found together with alterations in the blood counts (neutrophils 85 to 90% high; leucocytes, 400 to 500 mm3; erythrocytes, 0·6 to 1·5 × 10⁶ mm³). Symptomatic treatment and serotherapy (equine hyperimmune serum against feline panleucopenia) were given for the parvovirus infection. Of the antimicrobial agents, only chloramphenicol, a spiramycin metronidazole association and sulphamethoxypyridazine gave good results. A high dose of intramuscular chlorpromazine (2 to 4 mg/kg b.w.) repeated 48 h later, followed by an 8-day course of oral treatment at a moderate dosage (1 mg/kg b.w. daily) produced complete clinical cure and disappearance of Haemobartonella canis from the peripheral blood. It is considered that these results support the view that an intercurrent infection may upset the balance existing between the host and parasite in carriers of H. canis and produce a virulent infection (see Fig. 1).     

Identification of domestic cat hepadnavirus from a cat blood sample in Japan

The hepatitis B virus (Hepadnaviridae) induces chronic hepatitis and hepatic cancer in humans. A novel domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) was recently identified in several countries, however, the DCH infection status of cats in Japan is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the DCH infection rate of 139 cat samples collected in Japan. We identified one positive blood sample (0.78%) from a 17-year-old female cat with chronically elevated alanine aminotransferase. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the DCH strain identified in this study is genetically different from strains in other countries. Further investigations are required to elucidate the evolution of DCH and the impact of DCH infection on hepatic diseases in domestic cats.     

Improved mouse blood smears using the DiffSpin slide spinner

Push smears of mouse blood prepared for differential white blood cell (WBC) determination often have many lysed WBCs, numerous RBC "ghosts", and poor morphology of intact RBCs. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of peripheral blood smears prepared by 3 different methods and to optimize a technique for mouse blood differential WBC determination. Peripheral blood smears were prepared from blood obtained from clinically normal adult mice and human adults. Differential WBC counts, numbers of lysed WBCs/100 intact WBCs, and RBC morphology were compared in blood smears made using the standard push method with undiluted blood, the push method with blood diluted 1:5 with bovine serum albumin, and in centrifugally-prepared smears made with the DiffSpin Slide Spinner (StatSpin, Norwood, Mass, USA). The number of damaged WBCs in mouse versus human samples using the push method was compared using an unpaired Student's t test. ANOVA was used to compare differences in WBC differential counts and numbers of damaged WBCs among the 3 methods for each species. In addition, unpaired Student's t tests were used to compare each method against the other methods, within species. The number of damaged WBCs/100 intact WBCs was approximately 3 times higher in mouse than in human push smears (P=0.002). There was no significant difference in WBC differential cell counts among the 3 methods in either species. However, compared with both push techniques, a significantly (P <.01) greater number of intact cells was observed with the DiffSpin technique for mouse blood samples (damaged WBC/100 intact cells = 4.4 +/- 2.6 for DiffSpin smears, 9.5 +/- 3.9 for push smears with added albumin, and 31.3 +/- 10.2 for standard push smears). DiffSpin mouse blood smears consistently had better RBC morphology when compared with standard push smears. In conclusion, the DiffSpin Slide Spinner produced optimal smears of mouse blood for WBC differential determination and analysis of RBC morphology.     

Effect of sample preparation on basophilic stippling in bovine blood smears

The effect of sample preparation on the amount of basophilic stippling of erythrocytes (BSE) was studied using blood from a calf with chronic experimental lead poisoning. The combination of EDTA anticoagulation and rapid drying of the blood smear resulted in the most BSE. Alcohol prefixation reduced BSE. Wright-Leishman stain was better than Wright stain in demonstrating BSE.     

Single-step technique for staining Anaplasma marginale in bovine blood smears.

Three available differential stains, Camco-Quik, Diff-Quik, and Wright-Giesma were compared for detection of intraerythrocytic Anaplasma marginale in bovine blood smears. In samples where < 1% to more than 51% of the RBC were infected, statistical analysis of the data indicated no significant difference in the detection of A marginale with Camco-Quik or Diff-Quik stains. However, a significantly lower percentage of infected RBC were detected when blood smears were stained with the Wright-Giemsa stain, compared with the other 2 methods.