Thyroid imaging in the dog: current status and future directions

This review describes the advantages and disadvantages of radiography, ultrasonography, and nuclear medicine in the 2 most frequent thyroid pathologies of the dog: acquired primary hypothyroidism and thyroid neoplasia. Ultrasonography and scintigraphy remain the 2 most indicated imaging modalities for these thyroid abnormalities. However, as in human medicine, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging also have potential indications. This is especially the case in the evaluation of the extent, local invasiveness, and local or distant metastases of thyroid neoplasia. Based on experience with different imaging modalities in people, we suggest future directions in the imaging of the canine thyroid gland.     

Role of inflammatory mediators in priming, activation, and deformability of bovine neutrophils

OBJECTIVE: To determine the capacity of inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-8 (IL-8), platelet-activating factor (PAF), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and leukotoxin to prime, activate, or alter deformability of adult bovine neutrophils. SAMPLE POPULATION: Blood collected from 5 healthy adult Holstein cows. PROCEDURE: Isolated neutrophils or whole blood was incubated with TNF-alpha, IL-8, PAF, LPS, or leukotoxin, and neutrophil chemiluminescence, degranulation, deformability, shape change, CD11b expression, and size distribution was measured. RESULTS: Incubation with TNF-alpha, IL-8, PAF, and LPS primed neutrophils for oxygen radical release but caused minimal oxygen radical release by themselves. None of the inflammatory mediators induced degranulation. Incubation with TNF-alpha and PAF resulted in a decrease in neutrophil deformability and induced shape change in neutrophils. Incubation with PAF consistently resulted in an increase in neutrophil size as measured by use of flow cytometry. Only IL-8 caused an increase in expression of CD11b by neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Inflammatory mediators tested had minimal effects on neutrophil oxygen radical production or degranulation but did prime neutrophils for oxygen radical production. Incubation with PAF and TNF-alpha caused a decrease in neutrophil deformability and altered neutrophil shape and size. Results of our study indicate that PAF- and TNF-alpha-induced changes in neutrophil deformability and size may cause integrin- and selectin-independent trapping of neutrophils in the lungs of cattle with pneumonic pasteurellosis.     

Molecular tracing of the transmission routes of bois noir in Mediterranean vineyards of Montenegro and experimental evidence for the epidemiological role of Vitex agnus‐castus (Lamiaceae) and associated Hyalesthes obsoletus (Cixiidae)

Epidemiological aspects and transmission routes of bois noir (BN), a grapevine yellows disease induced by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’, have been exhaustively studied in the affected vineyards of continental Europe but not in the Mediterranean coastal zone. Because ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ and its principal vector Hyalesthes obsoletus presumably originate from the Mediterranean, gaining knowledge of the epidemiological peculiarities of the disease in this area is essential for understanding its global spread and diversification, as well as for designing local management strategies. In this study, molecular epidemiology was applied to trace transmission pathways of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ in the Mediterranean vineyards of Montenegro, using multilocus sequence typing of tuf, vmp1 and stamp genes of the isolates associated with various hosts. Thus, ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’ was tracked from a tentative reservoir plant (inoculum source) through an associated vector population to the infected grapevine. Three pathways of transmission were documented, originating from Urtica dioica, Convolvulus arvensis and Vitex agnus‐castus; however, only the route originating from U. dioica was direct, whereas the latter two were overlapping and could be intermixed. Vitex agnus‐castus is a natural source of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma solani’, representing an important link in disease epidemiology in the Mediterranean and a possible origin of several genotypes occurring in central Europe. Experimental confirmation of the role of Vitex‐associated H. obsoletus in BN transmission in Montenegrin vineyards indicates its tentative role as a vector in the wide area of the Mediterranean, where some of the major wine‐producing regions are located.     

Blood glucose concentrations in critically ill neonatal foals

Reasons for Performing Study: Critical illness is associated with hyperglycemia in humans, and a greater degree and duration of hyperglycemia is associated with nonsurvival. Hypoglycemia is also seen in critically ill humans, and is associated with nonsurvival. This might also be true in the critically ill foal.
Objectives: To investigate the association of blood glucose concentrations with survival, sepsis, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
Methods: Blood glucose concentrations at admission (515 foals) and 24 hours (159 foals), 36 hours (95), 48 hours (82), and 60 hours (45) after admission were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association of glucose concentrations with survival, sepsis, a positive blood culture, or SIRS.
Results: 29.1% of foals had blood glucose concentrations within the reference range (76–131 mg/dL) at admission, 36.5% were hyperglycemic, and 34.4% were hypoglycaemic. Foals that did not survive to hospital discharge had lower mean blood glucose concentrations at admission, as well as higher maximum and lower minimum blood glucose concentrations in the 1st 24 hours of hospitalization, and higher blood glucose at 24 and 36 hours. Foals with blood glucose concentrations <2.8 mmol/L (50 mg/dL) or >10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) at admission were less likely to survive. Hypoglycemia at admission was associated with sepsis, a positive blood culture, and SIRS.
Conclusions and Potential Relevance: Derangements of blood glucose concentration are common in critically ill foals. Controlling blood glucose concentrations may therefore be beneficial in the critically ill neonatal foal, and this warrants further investigation.     

Production of exfoliative toxin by isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus from different countries

A total of 218 isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus from pigs in eight countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Slovenia, the uk and the usa) and 44 isolates from other animals in Belgium, India, Japan and the usa were examined for the genes encoding the exfoliative toxins ExhA, ExhB, ExhC and ExhD by multiplex pcr. The expression of the toxins was confirmed by immunoblot analysis, using monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies specific for each of the toxins. The porcine isolates were from pigs with exudative epidermitis, pigs with other lesions and from healthy pigs, and one or more of the toxins could be found among the isolates from the pigs in all the countries. Toxigenic strains of S hyicus were isolated from both healthy and diseased pigs, but the chance of isolating toxigenic strains from pigs with exudative epidermitis was greater than from pigs with other lesions or healthy pigs. Of the 44 isolates from other animal species, only one isolate, from a hare from Belgium, produced ExhB, and one isolate, from a cow with mastitis from Japan, produced ExhA.     

Control of Johne's disease in four commercial dairy herds in Iowa

A 6-year study was conducted in 4 dairy herds in Iowa in which Johne's disease was diagnosed previously. Fecal specimens were collected at 6-month intervals from animals 2 years of age and over for mycobacteriologic examination. Serum samples were obtained at 3-month intervals and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The antigen used in the ELISA was a potassium chloride extract of a field strain of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. The ELISA reactions were observed in 87% of the cows from which M. paratuberculosis was isolated. Dairy producers that participated in the Johne's control program reported reduced economic losses. Increased income was attributed to improved milk production, increased value of vaccinated animals sold as replacements to other dairy herds in which Johne's disease had been diagnosed, and the increased market value of slaughter animals removed from the herd.