Recording of the reticular motility in cattle with experimental and spontaneous traumatic reticuloperitonitis

Using the method described in a previous publication for recording the reticulum action in normal cows the authors have investigated three cows with experimentally produced reticuloperitonitis as well as a group of cows with spontaneous peritonitis under treatment at the stationary clinic. The experimental animals were provided with permanent rumen fistulas.In the three cows with experimentally produced peritonitis the pointed object worked loose spontaneously during the first 24 hrs. The symptoms were mild after the first perforation and became aggravated after further perforations.An abnormally prolonged reticulum interval was recorded immediately after the perforation and continued to be clearly distinguishable for two to three days. In the cows with spontaneous peritonitis, this change was observed only in the acute stage.Prolongation of the second phase of the reticulum was the most pronounced finding from the recordings of the reticular movements, both in the cows with experimental peritonitis and in those in the spontaneous group. The change was at its height after two to seven days, and then subsided gradually in the experimental animals in which repeated recordings had been made.The pressure elevation in reticulum during the contractions was lower both in the animals with experimental peritonitis and in the spontaneous group than in the healthy animals.The cows with reticuloperitonitis also displayed impaired ability to pass the recording catheter from the atrium ruminis to the reticulum.     

Thrombosis of the cranial vena cava in a cow with bronchopneumonia and traumatic reticuloperitonitis

This paper reports the clinical findings, surgical and medical management, and necropsy of a 6-year-old cow with thrombosis of the cranial vena cava and thrombo-embolic pneumonia following traumatic reticuloperitonitis. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by necropsy.     

The use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to assess the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A, haptoglobin and fibrinogen in traumatic reticuloperitonitis in cattle

Acute phase proteins (APPs) such as serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and plasma fibrinogen (Fb) are diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This study determined the pattern of SAA in traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) in cows, and compared the findings with Hp, and plasma Fb concentrations in the differential diagnosis of TRP using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Blood samples were collected from 89 cows: 53 cases of TRP, 16 animals with other internal disorders and 20 healthy controls.SAA and Hp had a similar pattern and magnitude of changes in TRP. Using the ROC method, the optimal cut-off for the diagnosis of TRP was 68 μg/mL for SAA and 0.74 g/L for Hp, with 100% sensitivity and 86.1% specificity; either of these parameters may therefore be used as a sensitive and relatively specific tool for the differential diagnosis of TRP in cattle. The diagnostic accuracy of plasma Fb was significantly lower than either SAA or Hp (P < 0.01). The combined use of these APPs (whilst aware of their conditional interdependence) may not provide any additional diagnostic information than can be obtained using either SAA or Hp alone.     

Comparison of blood serum proteins in water buffaloes with traumatic reticuloperitonitis and sequellae

In this study, 73 cows with different types of traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) and sequellae along with 25 healthy buffalo cows were used to evaluate the total blood serum protein and protein electrophoresis. According to rumenotomy or necropsy findings, the affected buffalo cows were classified into acute local TRP (AL-TRP), chronic local TRP (CL-TRP), reticular abscess (RA), acute diffuse TRP (AD-TRP), purulent pericarditis (PPC) and fibrinous pericarditis (FPC). Polyclonal gammopathy was characteristic for the electrophoretogram of buffalo cows with CL-TRP (55%), RA (61.1%) and PPC (62.5%). Various degrees of hypoalbuminaemia, hyper-alpha-globulinaemia and low A/G ratios were the associated changes in all cases of TRP and sequellae. Hyper-beta-globulinaemia was noticed in cases with CL-TRP, RA and PPC. Hyper-gamma-globulinaemia was evident in cases with AL-TRP, CL-TRP, RA and PPC. Hyperproteinaemia was noticed in buffalo cows with local complications of TRP including AL-TRP, CL-TRP and RA. Hypoproteinaemia associated with severe hypoalbuminaemia (>50% reduction compared to controls) and very low A/G ratios (<0.4) characterized buffalo cows with AD-TRP, PPC or FPC. In conclusion, the concentrations and electrophoretic patterns of serum proteins in buffaloes differ according to the anatomical location of the foreign body and the associated pathological lesions.     

The sensitivity and specificity of postbreeding plasma progesterone levels as a pregnancy test for dairy cows.

Plasma progesterone levels on day 4 and day 8 postbreeding were measured for one hundred and eighty-four dairy cows. These two parameters (PPD4, PPD8), their absolute difference (PPDIFF) and their ratio (PPRATIO) were assessed for their ability to identify cows not conceiving, using the principles of sensitivity and specificity. PPD4 was significantly higher (p less than 0.10) and PPD8, PPDIFF and PPRATIO were significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in cows remaining open than in pregnant cows. Evaluating each parameter separately, PPDIFF greater than 3.00 units had the highest specificity, 85.7%, but a low sensitivity (27.0%). Combining two parameters using series interpretation to increase specificity resulted in the best combination of specificity (87%) and sensitivity (27%). Maximum specificity was 97% for PPD4 less than or equal to 1.00 units and PPD8 greater than 4.00 units, and also for PPD4 less than or equal to 1.00 units and PPDIFF greater than 3.00 units, but sensitivity was very low (7% and 10% respectively). Predictive values of the test results with the best specificity were evaluated; given the population pregnancy rate of 54%, none exceeded 50%, indicating that the plasma progesterone parameters were not very useful for identifying open dairy cows.     

The predictive value of pelvimetry in beef cattle.

To elucidate reasons for failure of pelvimetry to predict dystocia, we collected data from 1146 heifers and 210 cows in five beef cow herds in Saskatchewan. We assessed the reliability of pelvic area measurements, the generalizability of findings, various modifications of the technique, and the statistical association between pelvic area measurements and dystocia. The repeatability (kappa) of pelvic area measurements between and within veterinarians for the Rice and Krautmann pelvimeters were low to moderate, indicating pelvic area measurements were imprecise. The positive predictive values and sensitivities of pelvic area measurements were consistently poor across herds, years of study, breeds of heifers, times of measurement, various pelvic area cut-off points, and sires. Various modifications of the technique, including pelvic area/calf birth weight ratios, pelvic area/heifer weight ratios, and Ko's calving prediction equation were also poor on-farm tests for predicting dystocia. Although the mean pelvic area in heifers with dystocia was smaller than those without dystocia, there was a large overlap in the distribution of their measurements. Far too many heifers with a small pelvic area had no dystocia (false positives) and far too many heifers with a large pelvic area had dystocia (false negatives) for pelvimetry to be useful. We conclude there is little evidence to justify the continued use of pelvimetry as an on-farm test to reduce dystocia in beef cattle.     

Radiographic findings before and after oral administration of a magnet in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate by use of radiography the efficacy of oral administration of magnets in the treatment of traumatic reticuloperitonitis in cows. ANIMALS: 90 cows referred because of indigestion. PROCEDURE: Radiography of the reticulum was performed. In all cows, radiographic findings revealed a metal foreign body in the reticulum. A magnet was administered orally, and the reticulum was again radiographed to assess the position of the magnet and to determine whether the foreign body was attached to the magnet. RESULTS: The magnet was observed in the reticulum in 75 cows and in the cranial aspect of the dorsal sac of the rumen in 9 cows; in 6 cows, the magnet was not observed. The foreign body was fully attached to the magnet in 49 cows. In 6 cows, the foreign body was in contact with the magnet but still penetrated the reticulum. In 24 cows, the foreign body did not contact the magnet, and in 11 cows, it was not clear whether the foreign body was attached to the magnet. A foreign body at an angle to the ventral aspect of the reticulum of > 3 degrees was less likely to become attached to a magnet, compared with a foreign body situated horizontally on the ventral aspect of the reticulum. A foreign body with no contact to the ventral aspect of the reticulum or a perforating foreign body was also less likely to become attached to a magnet. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Position of the foreign body within the reticulum greatly influences the efficacy of treatment with a magnet.     

Post surgical development of inflammatory adhesions and reticular function in cows suffering from traumatic reticuloperitonitis

Inflammatory adhesions between reticulum and ventral abdomen in patients suffering traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) may induce a massive inhibition of reticular contractions and thereby an impairment of the separation process of particles in the reticulorumen. However, a substantial disturbance of digesta passage (Hoflund-syndrome) is found only in a few TRP-cows. We hypothesized that this is due to a retrieval of reticular motility due to rebuilding and degradation of adhesions within months after the removal of the foreign body as the primary inflammatory stimulus. Accordingly, it was the objective of this study (a) to assess the extent and structure of inflammatory adhesions in cows with TRP over a period of six months following surgery and (b) to persecute reticular function by characterizing the sequence of reticular contractions sonographically and by assessment of particle size distribution in the faeces of patients by means of wet-sieving. Twenty-six cows suffering from TRP were studied on the day of rumenotomy (day 1) and on day 6, day 12 and 6 months post operationem. Additionally, six healthy control cows were investigated once. All cows were on a hay and concentrate diet. On day 1, the reticular floor and the reticular wall were affected by adhesions in varying extent in all cows; the contraction distance and contraction velocity of the reticulum were markedly reduced and the portion of large particles in the faces increased compared to healthy cows. On day 12, the portion of large particles did not vary any more from that of control cows; a tendency towards an increased contraction distance compared to day 1 was found. Sonographically, only marginal differences were detected in respect to extent and consistency of adhesions. Six months after rumenotomy, in 9 of 16 re-investigated cows sonography revealed no adhesions at the reticulum at all, in other cases the extent of adhesions shrunk considerably. Contraction distance and contraction velocity and particle size distribution in the faeces were found to be nearly comparable to that of control cows. It is concluded that inflammatory adhesions disappear in the majority of the TRP-patients, as a consequence reticular function normalizes. A serious disturbance of digesta passage seems to develop exclusively in those patients with the most extensive adhesions and may be also in such cows, where the primary adhesions cause the development of extensive abscesses.     

The value of plasma fibrinogen estimations in dogs. A comparison with total leucocyte and neutrophil counts

Plasma fibrinogen levels were measured by a simple refractometry method on 552 dog blood samples submitted from clinical cases for routine haematological examination. Sixty samples with total leucocyte and neutrophil counts within the defined normal range had elevated fibrinogen levels. The majority of these samples were from animals with a disease condition. It was concluded, because of this, and because of the simplicity of the method, that fibrinogen estimations are a worthwhile addition to the routine haematological examination of dog blood.     

Comparison of the specificity and sensitivity of PCR, nested PCR, and real-time PCR for the diagnosis of histomoniasis

Blackhead, also known as enterohepatitis, is caused by a protozoan parasite called Histomonas meleagridis. Clinical symptoms are nonspecific. Until now, diagnosis has been mainly based on postmortem lesions and microscopical and histopathological examination. In many cases, especially in layer flocks, these conventional methods are not sufficient, as the lesions are sometimes not clear. The technique for isolation of histomonads in vitro offers many advantages, but the confirmation of histomonads growing in culture may require a time-consuming procedure of rectal inoculation of culture material into chickens or turkeys. The aim of our investigation was to establish a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a nested PCR, and a real-time PCR, and to examine their specificity as well as sensitivity in the diagnosis of histomoniasis. The obtained results have shown that the conventional PCR is more sensitive than the real-time PCR. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the PCR can be increased by adding the nested PCR. However, the real-time PCR is more specific.     

The value of plasma corticosteroid assays in the diagnosis of Cushing''s disease in the dog

The value of measurements of plasma corticosteroids in the resting state and following dexamethasone suppression and adrenocorticotrophin stimulation in the differential diagnosis of canine Cushing's disease has been studied. Resting plasma levels appear to be rarely of value. An overnight dexamethasone suppression test depresses plasma levels below 5 μg/100 ml in normal but not in Cushing dogs. Marked increase in plasma levels occurs in Cushing dogs following sub-optimal adrenocorticotrophin stimulation but not in normal dogs. A comparison of a fluorimetric and a competitive protein binding method for the assay of dog plasma corticosteroids has been made. Résumé. Les auteurs ont étudié l'importance des mesures de corticostéroïdes dans le plasma au repos et après la suppression de dexaméthasone et la stimulation adrénocorticotrophine pendant le diagnostic différentiel de la maladie de Gushing chez le chien. Les niveaux de plasma au repos ne semblent avoir de la valeur que dans un rare nombre de cas. Ghez les chiens normaux, mais non pas chez les chiens atteints de la maladie de Gushing, un essai d'un jour pour la suppression de dexaméthasone fait passer les niveaux de plasma au-dessous de 5 μg/100 ml. On assiste à une hausse prononcée des niveaux de plasma chez les chiens atteints de la maladie de Gushing à la suite d'une stimulation adrénocorticotrophine sous-optimale, mais non pas chez les chiens normaw. Pour évaluer les corticostérodïes dans le plasma du chien on a fait la comparaison de la méthode fluorimétrique et de la méthode “de la concurrence de fixation” par les protéides. Zusammenfassung. Der Wert der Messungen von Plasmacorticosteroiden im Ruhezustand und der folgenden Dexamethasonsuppression und der Adrenocorticotrophinstimulation in der Differentialdiagnose des Gushing-Syndroms des Hundes wurde untersucht. Die Ruhestands-Plasmawerte scheinen selten von Bedeutung. Ein über Nacht durchgeführter Dexametha-sonsuppressionstest senkt die Plasmawerte beim normalen, aber nicht beim Gushing-Hund unter 5 μg/100 ml. Eine deutliche Erhöhung der Plasmakonzentrationen tritt bei Gushing-Hunden nach suboptimaler Adrenocorticotrophinstimulation, nicht aber bei normalen Hunden auf. Ein Vergleich einer fluorimetrischen und einer kompetitiven Proteinbindungsmethode für die Untersuchung von Hundeplasmacorticosteroiden wurde vorgenommen.     

Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of Brucella ovis infection in rams.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibody to Brucella ovis was compared with a standard complement fixation test. Sera of 176 rams from uninfected flocks gave 175 negative and one suspect ELISA reaction (diagnostic specificity 99.4%) whereas the complement fixation test yielded 167 negative, seven suspect and two anticomplementary reactions (diagnostic specificity of 96.0%). Diagnostic sensitivity was evaluated on sera of 79 rams from which B. ovis had been isolated. The ELISA showed 75 positive and four suspect reactions, while complement fixation test revealed 64 positive, 13 suspect and two negative results. Considering both positive and suspect reactions, the diagnostic sensitivity was 100% for ELISA and 97.5% for complement fixation test. The ELISA method was considered more specific, more sensitive and technically more advantageous than complement fixation test as a serodiagnostic test for B. ovis infection in rams.     

Use of simulation modeling to estimate herd-level sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of diagnostic tests for detection of tuberculosis in cattle

OBJECTIVE: To estimate herd-level sensitivity (HSe), specificity (HSp), and predictive values for a positive (HPVP) and negative (HPVN) test result for several testing scenarios for detection of tuberculosis in cattle by use of simulation modeling. SAMPLE POPULATION: Empirical distributions of all herds (15,468) and herds in a 10-county area (1,016) in Michigan. PROCEDURE: 5 test scenarios were simulated: scenario 1, serial interpretation of the caudal fold tuberculin (CFT) test and comparative cervical test (CCT); scenario 2, serial interpretation of the CFT test and CCT, microbial culture for mycobacteria, and polymerase chain reaction assay; scenario 3, same as scenario 2 but specificity was fixed at 1.0; and scenario 4, sensitivity was 0.9 (scenario 4a) or 0.95 (scenario 4b), and specificity was fixed at 1.0. RESULTS: Estimates for HSe were reasonably high, ranging between 0.712 and 0.840. Estimates for HSp were low when specificity was not fixed at 1.0. Estimates of HPVP were low for scenarios 1 and 2 (0.042 and 0.143, respectively) but increased to 1.0 when specificity was fixed at 1.0. The HPVN remained high for all 5 scenarios, ranging between 0.995 and 0.997. As herd size increased, HSe increased and HSp and HPVP decreased. However, fixing specificity at 1.0 had only minor effects on HSp and HPVN, but HSe was low when the herd size was small. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Tests used for detecting cattle herds infected with tuberculosis work well on a herd basis. Herds with < approximately 100 cattle should be tested more frequently or for a longer duration than larger herds to ensure that these small herds are free of tuberculosis.     

Estimation of sensitivity and specificity of five serological tests for the diagnosis of porcine brucellosis

While serological tests are essential in surveillance and control programs of animal diseases, to date none of the common serological tests approved in the EU (complement fixation test or Rose-Bengal test) has been shown to be reliable in routine individual diagnosis of porcine brucellosis, and some more recent tests like ELISA have not been fully evaluated yet. In the absence of a gold standard, this study allowed the estimation of sensitivities and specificities of these tests with a Bayesian approach using Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms. The pig population that was tested included 6422 animals from Metropolitan France. Serum samples were collected from a large population of pigs, representative of European swine population and tested with five brucellosis serological tests: Rose-Bengal test (RBT), fluorescence polarization assay (FPA), indirect ELISA (I-ELISA) and two competitive ELISAs (C-ELISA). The sensitivity and the specificity of each test were estimated. When doubtful results were excluded, the most sensitive and specific test was C-ELISA(2) (Se C-ELISA(2)=0.964, [0.907; 0.994], 95% credibility interval (CrI); Sp C-ELISA(2)=0.996, [0.982; 1.0], 95% CrI). When doubtful results were considered as negative, C-ELISA(2) was still the most sensitive and specific test (Se C-ELISA(2)=0.960, [0.896; 0.994], 95% CrI and Sp C-ELISA(2)=0.994, [0.977; 0.999], 95% CrI). The same conclusions were reached when doubtful results were considered as positive (Se C-ELISA(2)=0.963, [0.904, 0.994], 95% CrI and Sp C-ELISA(2)=0.996, [0.986; 1.0], 95% CrI).     

The sensitivity and specificity of a modified ELISA for the diagnosis of Johne's disease from a field trial in cattle

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies against Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in cattle was evaluated in three herds known to have Johne's disease. Prior to testing, the plasma was absorbed with dried Mycobacterium phlei in order to remove cross-reacting antibody specificities. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were calculated after repeatedly testing 327 cattle in the infected herds. Of these, 53 animals had one or more positive faecal cultures or had post-mortem histopathological evidence of infection. The other 274 had three or more negative faecal culture results, and were regarded as non-infected for the purpose of evaluation of the ELISA. Using these criteria for the presence or absence of infection, the M. phlei-absorbed ELISA under field conditions had a 57% sensitivity and a 98.9% specificity. The sensitivity of the absorbed ELISA depended on the stage of disease of the animal under test. In general, it appeared that animals in the more advanced stages of disease were absorbed ELISA positive, whereas those in the early stages of infection were not detected. These results indicate that the M. phlei-absorbed ELISA has an important role as a test for the diagnosis and control of Johne's disease in cattle.     

Use of cardiac troponin kits for the qualitative determination of myocardial cell damage due to traumatic reticuloperitonitis in cattle

This study was designed to investigate whether kits to measure circulating cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) and cardiac troponin-T (cTn-T) can be used to determine myocardial cell damage in cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (trp). Twenty cattle with trp were compared with 10 clinically healthy cattle. cTn-I and cTn-T were determined qualitatively and cTn-I was determined quantitatively; biochemical analyses were also performed on both groups. The mean serum concentrations of total protein, globulin, glucose and calcium, and the mean activities of creatine kinase mb, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transferase were higher in the cattle with trp than in the control group. The cTn-I and cTn-T kits both gave positive results in three of the cattle with trp and the quantitative measurement of cTn-I was positive in 11 of the trp cases. Both tests were negative in the healthy cattle.