Comparative oncology: The paradigmatic example of canine and human mast cell neoplasms

In humans, advanced mast cell (MC) neoplasms are rare malignancies with a poor prognosis. Only a few preclinical models are available, and current treatment options are limited. In dogs, MC neoplasms are the most frequent malignant skin tumours. Unlike low‐grade MC neoplasms, high‐grade MC disorders usually have a poor prognosis with short survival. In both species, neoplastic MCs display activating KIT mutations, which are considered to contribute to disease evolution. Therefore, tyrosine kinase inhibitors against KIT have been developed. Unfortunately, clinical responses are unpredictable and often transient, which remains a clinical challenge in both species. Therefore, current efforts focus on the development of new improved treatment strategies. The field of comparative oncology may assist in these efforts and accelerate human and canine research regarding diagnosis, prognostication, and novel therapies. In this article, we review the current status of comparative oncology approaches and perspectives in the field of MC neoplasms.     

Comparison of qualitative and quantitative analyses of canine uroliths

A study was performed to compare qualitative test results of canine uroliths with quantitative test results. Qualitative test results were in agreement with quantitative test results in only 96 of 223 specimens (43 per cent). Lack of agreement was caused by false-negative qualitative test results (85 of 223), false-positive qualitative test results (15 of 233), and a combination of false-negative and false-positive qualitative test results (27 of 233). This study indicates that the veterinary profession should abandon exclusive use of qualitative chemical test kits for uroliths.     

Estimation of reference intervals from small samples: an example using canine plasma creatinine

Background: According to international recommendations, reference intervals should be determined from at least 120 reference individuals, which often are impossible to achieve in veterinary clinical pathology, especially for wild animals. When only a small number of reference subjects is available, the possible bias cannot be known and the normality of the distribution cannot be evaluated. A comparison of reference intervals estimated by different methods could be helpful. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare reference limits determined from a large set of canine plasma creatinine reference values, and large subsets of this data, with estimates obtained from small samples selected randomly. Methods: Twenty sets each of 120 and 27 samples were randomly selected from a set of 1439 plasma creatinine results obtained from healthy dogs in another study. Reference intervals for the whole sample and for the large samples were determined by a nonparametric method. The estimated reference limits for the small samples were minimum and maximum, mean ± 2 SD of native and Box–Cox‐transformed values, 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles by a robust method on native and Box–Cox‐transformed values, and estimates from diagrams of cumulative distribution functions. Results: The whole sample had a heavily skewed distribution, which approached Gaussian after Box–Cox transformation. The reference limits estimated from small samples were highly variable. The closest estimates to the 1439‐result reference interval for 27‐result subsamples were obtained by both parametric and robust methods after Box–Cox transformation but were grossly erroneous in some cases. Conclusion: For small samples, it is recommended that all values be reported graphically in a dot plot or histogram and that estimates of the reference limits be compared using different methods.     

Symposium on canine recto-anal disorders--3: clinical management

Abstract— Discussion is limited to conditions of the lower alimentary tract posterior to the anterior rim of the pelvic floor. More recent surgical procedures are described but the emphasis is on differential diagnosis and the symptomology is outlined from this aspect rather than that of the individual conditions. Résumé— L'étude porte sur les troubles intéressant le tube digestif inférieur, en arrière du bord antérieur du plancher pelvien. Tout en décrivant diverses techniques chirurgicales assez récentes, l'auteur étudie surtout le diagnostic différentiel, la symptomatologie étant présentée de ce point de we plutôt que sous l'aspect des divers troubles rencontrés. Zusammenfassung— Die Diskussion beschränkt sich auf die Verhältnisse des unteren Verdauungs-kanals hinter dem Vorderrand des Beckenbodens. Neuere chirurgische Methoden werden beschrieben, jedoch liegt der Nachdruck mehr auf der Differentialdiagnose, und die Symptomatologie wird unter diesem Gesichtspunkt statt dem der individuellen Zustände umrissen.     

干扰素在犬病临床中的应用

一、干扰素的基本特点 （一）具有严格的种属特性：即某种动物细胞产生的干扰素,只能作用于同种动物的细胞,使其建立抗病毒状态。例如用犬的细胞生产的干扰素,只对犬有抗病毒作用。 （二）作用广谱性：干扰素对机体细胞的抗病毒作用一旦形成,就能获得抗多种病毒的能力。     

浅述犬子宫蓄脓的临床诊疗

犬的子宫蓄脓多在发情后月余发病,按子宫颈开放与否可分为闭锁与开放2种类型。文中叙述了该病的临床症状,实验室及特殊检查,诊断和治疗的方法。该病的发生与体内高水平的孕酮、子宫内膜囊泡性增生及子宫组织的抵抗力降低有关。手术摘除子宫卵巢是目前治疗该病最为有效的方法。     

A comparison of five strategies for selecting control groups: a canine osteochondritis dissecans example

A case-control study of risk factors for osteochondritis dissecans in dogs was conducted between January 1980 and December 1987 at the Small Animal Clinic of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for age, gender and breed using five different hospital based control groups. The first (1980), midpoint (1984), last year (1987), and two combined years groups (1980–1987) were selected as controls. The individual year groups and one combined years group used the first visit for each dog as the index visit. The other combined years group used a randomly selected visit for each dog.

Few differences in results were seen between control groups for age and gender. For the less common breeds of dog, the individual year control groups resulted in more variation in the odds ratios and less precision. Issues affecting the selection of hospital based control groups in companion animal epidemiology are discussed.     

Diagnosis of canine Hepatozoon spp. infection by quantitative PCR

Hepatozoon (H.) americanum and H. canis are the etiological agents of canine hepatozoonosis, a disease that is found worldwide and is also prevalent in the southeastern United States. Current laboratory diagnosis of canine hepatozoonosis caused by H. americanum is usually dependent on visual identification of Hepatozoon "onion skin cysts" in muscle biopsies, an approach that requires invasive sampling and can result in false negatives. We have developed a diagnostic method for detection of Hepatozoon spp. DNA that integrates nucleic acid extraction with extensive agitation to maximize DNA extraction efficiency. The DNA extracted from canine EDTA-whole blood is subjected to real-time PCR, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes detect a signature polymorphism in the amplified DNA. This PCR method amplifies a fragment of the Hepatozoon 18S rDNA gene, detects as few as 7 genomic copies of Hepatozoon spp. per ml of blood with high specificity, and differentiates between H. americanum and H. canis amplicons. A surprising 300-fold increase of H. americanum 18S rDNA targets occurred during 3-0 days of storage of positive blood specimens. Examination of 614 EDTA-blood samples submitted mostly from the southeastern Unites States from dogs with suspected hepatozoonosis identified H. americanum in 167 samples (27.2%). An additional 14 samples (2.3%) were positive for H. canis, and 14 samples (2.3%) were positive for both H. americanum and H. canis. These results suggest that the Hepatozoon spp. 18S rDNA quantitative PCR may be a valuable tool that can improve diagnosis and therapy of canine hepatozoonosis.     

The quantitative assessment of normal canine small intestinal mucosa.

Quanitative methods of assessing the architecture of small intestinal mucosa have been applied to biopsy material from normal dogs. Mucosal samples taken from four predetermined sites show that there are significant quantitative differences between the various levels of the small bowel. Animals of one year of age and older show no correlation between age or weight and mucosal dimensions. The significance of these findings, in relation to examination of biopsy material from cases of clinical small intestinal disease, is discussed.     

犬眼病的临床病理研究

眼是视觉系统中最重要的器官,随着宠物医疗技术的高度发展,犬的眼科疾病日益被临床兽医所重视。事实上眼部疾病常囊括部分全身疾病的局部体征,虽然相关的眼科检查仪器逐步导入临床,使视诊范围日益增宽,但由于缺乏对眼科生理、病理的认识,势必影响对眼科疾病的诊断能力。国外小动物眼科学发展很快,各种高科技检查仪器早已成为临床医生的诊察手段。     

Improved clinical approach to the diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis

Summary Canine ehrlichiosis is being recognised with increasing frequency in many parts of the world. Based upon a detailed clinical and laboratory examination including a simplein vitro blood culture diagnostic test 373 cases have been classified into seven broad groups. These groups include acute, haemorrhagic, chronic, uraemic, subclinical, carrier state and those with babesiosis. While many of these groups overlap they will assist the clinician in diagnosis and allow the application of specific thereapy before the disease progresses to a chronic irreversible stage.

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Metodologia Clinica Mejorada Para El Diagnostico De La Ehrlichiosis Canina

Resumen La Ehrlichiosis canina es una enfermedad ampliamente conocida a nivel mundial. Con base en exámenes clínicos y de laboratorio detallados, incluyendo una prueba diagnóstica simple de cultivo de sangrein vitro, 373 casos han sido clasificados en siete grupos generales. Estos grupos incluyen la forma aguda, hemorrágica, crónica, urémica, subclínica y de portador crónico y aquellos casos con babesiosis. A pesar de que muchos de estos grupos se confunden, la clasificación adoptada asiste al clínico en el diagnóstico, permitiendo la aplicación de una terápia específica antes que la enfermedad progrese hacia un estado crónico irreversible.

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Amelioration De La Demarche Clinique Pour Le Diagnostic De L'Ehrlichiose Canine

Résumé L'ehrlichiose canine est reconnue avec une fréquence de plus grande dans beaucoup de parties du monde. Basée sur un examen clinique détaillé et des tests de laboratoire, dont une mise en culturein vitro du sang, 373 cas ont été classés en 7 grands groupes. Ces groupes sont: aigu, hémorragique, chronique, urémique, subclinique, porteur et ceux associés à la babésiose. Bien qu'il y ait un recoupement entre ces groupes, ils apporteront une aide au clinicien pour son diagnostic et permettront la mise en oeuvre d'une thérapeutique spécifique avant que la maladie ne progresse à un stade chronique irréversible.

     

Use of domperidone in the treatment of canine visceral leishmaniasis: a clinical trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of domperidone, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, in dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum. Ninety-eight dogs were treated with single-agent domperidone at 1mg/kg twice a day orally for 1 month. Clinical, serological, biochemical and immunological examinations were conducted for the following 12 months. Domperidone was effective in controlling and reducing clinical signs and antibody titre. Significant decreases in reciprocal serum antibodies were seen in 74.3% of the dogs with mild clinical signs and 40% of the dogs became seronegative. In dogs with several clinical signs and high antibody titres, clinical improvement occurred in 86% of animals and the reciprocal serum antibody titres decreased in 38% of these dogs. A significant increase was noted in the immune cellular status, as measured by the leishmanin skin test and a lymphocyte proliferation assay.     

Epidemiology of canine leishmaniosis in Catalonia (Spain) the example of the Priorat focus.

An epidemiological survey of canine leishmaniosis was conducted in the Priorat, a rural region in the Northeast of Spain, for 10 years (1985-1994). Seroprevalence throughout the region, determined by dot-ELISA and IFI, was 10.2% (8-12%). Forty percent of the dogs studied had a low level of anti-Leishmania antibodies, whereas only 50% were seronegative. Only one-third of the seropositive dogs had evident symptoms of the disease. Annual incidence of the disease was 5.7% and the level of endemicity was stable during the study. Four Leishmania zymodemes (MON-1, MON-29, MON-77, MON-105) were present in the focus, and their distribution in the different hosts is discussed. Apart from dogs and foxes, no other reservoir host has been found in the region.     

Use of contact plates for the quantitative culture of Malassezia pachydermatis from canine skin

The Malassezia pachydermatis populations of the axilla and groin of 12 normal and 12 atopic dogs were compared using tape-strips and contact plates. When assessed by either method, the mean density of yeasts in the groin of the atopic dogs was significantly greater (P<0.05) than that of the normal dogs, suggesting that the cutaneous microenvironment of the groin region of the atopic dogs favoured colonisation by this yeast. Differences between the counts from the axilla were not significant. The frequency of isolation of yeasts from both dogs and sites was significantly higher (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively) in the atopic group. There was a very highly significant correlation (P<0.001) between the tape-strip counts and contact plate counts in the atopic group only. This study suggests that isolation of numerous M pachydermatis colonies from the axilla and groin of dogs using contact plates is indicative of elevated skin surface populations. The simplicity of the contact plate method makes it suitable for the routine quantitative culture of cutaneous M pachydermatis populations in dogs with dermatological disease.     

犬轮状病毒荧光定量RT—PCR检测方法的建立

目的:建立轮状病毒快速准确的检测方法,为研发诊断试剂盒和疫苗奠定基础。方法:用Primer5软件设计VP7引物,从采集的腹泻犬粪便样品抽提病毒RNA,用反转录聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)技术,将RNA反转录为cDNA,并进行PCR扩增,对扩增产物进行非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和测序,与代表株的VP7进行同源性比较。结果:从腹泻病犬粪便样品中抽提到了轮状病毒RNA,反转录后扩增产物为51bp的基因片段,经核苷酸序列分析,其PCR序列与犬轮状病毒VP7基因编码源序列的同源性为86.3%。结论:正确克隆了轮状病毒主要保护性抗VP7基因中抗原表位区,建立了犬轮状病毒实时定量诊断方法,为研制实时定量诊断试剂盒奠定了基础。