Thoracic high-resolution computed tomography in the diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma

Three dogs were presented for investigation of recurrent pyrexia of unknown origin, chronic vomiting and respiratory distress, respectively. One dog was markedly underweight and the other two were cachexic. Physical examination and initial diagnostic tests failed to establish the underlying cause of the presenting signs. Thoracic radiographs were within normal limits for the age of the dog. In each case there was a high index of suspicion for an occult neoplastic process in view of the profound unexplained weight loss present. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax was performed. The lung fields were divided into three zones for analysis and a novel classification scheme was used to describe the HRCT findings in each zone. Postmortem examination and histopathology confirmed the presence of an infiltrating metastatic carcinoma in all three cases. The HRCT changes correlated closely with the pathological findings. The authors conclude that HRCT of the lung should be considered for pulmonary metastatic screening in the dog and introduce a classification system for HRCT findings, based on terminology used in human medicine.     

Clinical gene therapy: genes by prescription?

Gene therapy is a medical intervention based on modification of the genetic material of living cells. This technique offers widespread possibilities in treating or preventing diseases. This applies to genetically determined diseases but also to diseases that occur later in life. Cells may be modified ex vivo for subsequent administration to patients, or may be altered in vivo by gene therapy given directly to the subject. To introduce the genetic material in cells, vectors are being used. Currently, most vectors are from viral origin. This requires special precautions when producing viral vectors. Gene therapy is apparently safe, when the proper indications and contra-indications are taken into account. Expectations regarding gene therapy are very high. However, more technological barriers are encountered than foreseen and therefore, the clinical success up to now is limited.     

Use of height-specific weigh tapes to estimate the bodyweight of horses

Two thousand horses of different ages, heights and breeds were divided into two height groups of up to 14.2 hands high (hh) and more than 14.2 hh, and weighed on a weighbridge; each horse then had its weight estimated by three weigh tapes, one height specific (tape 1 or 2, depending on the animal's height) and two for general use (tapes 3 and 4). For horses up to 14.2 hh, weigh tape 1 provided the most accurate estimate of mean (sd) bodyweight (100.5 [6.2] per cent), and weigh tapes 3 and 4 were 112 (6.8) and 97-0 (6.1) per cent accurate, respectively. For horses more than 14.2 hh, weigh tape 2 provided the most accurate estimate of bodyweight (98.6 [18.4] per cent), with weigh tapes 3 and 4 being 102.6 (17.4) and 90.8 (15.2) per cent accurate, respectively.     

Effects of Moderate Water Stress on Disease Development by Sphaeropsis sapinea on Red Pine

ABSTRACT The aggressiveness of Sphaeropsis sapinea isolates was compared on water-stressed and nonstressed 3-year-old red pines (Pinus resinosa) in greenhouse and growth chamber experiments. Water was withheld from stressed seedlings to achieve mean predawn needle water potentials (psi(PD)) above -1.9 MPa. The lowest mean psi(PD) of well-watered seedlings was maintained at or above -0.8 MPa. Young shoots were inoculated by placing colonized agar plugs on wounds made by removing a needle fascicle. Two isolates of each recognized morphotype (A and B) were used in the greenhouse experiment and two isolates of morphotype A were used in the growth chamber experiment. After 4 weeks, isolates of morphotype A caused more severe symptoms and could be recovered farther from the inoculation site on water-stressed than on nonstressed trees in both experiments. In the greenhouse experiment, isolates of mor-photype A also caused more severe symptoms and could be recovered farther from the inoculation site than isolates of morphotype B, regardless of watering regime. These results indicate that water stress at levels observed typically in the field can result in increased disease development by isolates of S. sapinea morphotype A on red pine. The reduction of water stress of red pines in the field may reduce losses due to Sphaeropsis shoot blight.     

Xanthomonas translucens from Small Grains: Diversity and Phytopathological Relevance

ABSTRACT Sixty-eight presumptive Xanthomonas translucens strains isolated from 15 small grains or grass species were studied by pathogenicity tests on barley, bread wheat, oat, and bromegrass species, and also by AFLP, analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of protein extracts. The X. translucens strains were divided into three pathogenicity types based on differences observed on barley and bread wheat. Two unspeciated strains producing atypical symptoms formed a fourth pathogenicity type. Pathogenicity on oat and bromegrass species varied within these types. Clusterings observed by AFLP analysis and, to a lesser extent, by FAME analysis were consistent with these pathogenicity groupings. The current results, as well as those of previous restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of the same strains, support the recent reclassification of X. translucens pv. translucens and X. translucens pv. hordei as true synonyms. X. translucens pv. cerealis, X. translucens pv. translucens, and X. translucens pv. undulosa cluster in different groups by AFLP and FAME analyses. Even though distinction by simple biochemical tests is not clear-cut, the data indicate that the pathovars cerealis, translucens, and undulosa correspond to true biological entities.     

Détection du sugarcane bacilliform badnavirus au Maroc par le test du Western blotting

Depuis la découverte du sugarcane bacilliform badnavirus (SCBV) au Maroc, plusieurs études ont été réalisées au niveau du Centre Technique des Cultures Sucrières en collaboration avec l'Université de Minnesota (US) afin d'améliorer son niveau de détection et renforcer les mesures de contrôle aussi bien au niveau de la grande culture qu'au niveau de la quarantaine. L'étude présentée dans cet article montre la possibilité de détecter le SCBV par la technique du Western blotting et permet aussi la comparaison entre les résultats de cette technique et ceux de l'ELISA.     

Meteorus rubens—Steinernema carpocapsae interaction, field studies

The entomogenous nematode,Steinernema carpocapsae was applied in three forms in two fields cultivated with cotton and tomato, under each cotton seedling or tomato plant: a bait like form, a suspension and in irrigation water. High concentrations of 2000 and 1000 IJS/seedling induced 100% mortality (after 5 days), while lower concentrations showed the same result but after 15 days or later. Under all doses of nematode, bait form application was more effective than suspension or irrigated water.     

Reduced anchoring fibril formation and collagen VII immunoreactivity in feline dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa was diagnosed in a cat with juvenile-onset epithelial sloughing of the oral mucosa, footpads, and haired skin. Dermoepidermal separation occurred in the absence of inflammation or cytolysis of basal epidermal cells. Collagen IV-specific immunostaining corroborated the fact that clefting took place below the epidermal basement membrane. Ultrastructural examination revealed that the proband's anchoring fibrils exhibited a filamentous morphology and were decreased in number compared with those in a normal cat. Finally, the attenuated immunoreactivity for collagen VII in our patient led us to suspect that its encoding gene, COL7A1, could be mutated in this case of feline dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.