Serum thymidine kinase 1 activity as a prognostic biomarker in dogs with chemotherapy-treated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is frequently treated with chemotherapy incorporating cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP), which induces remission in 80% to 95% of cases. However, not all dogs derive meaningful benefit from CHOP, and prognostic factors for dogs with DLBCL are poorly defined. Serum thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) activity, a marker of tumour cell proliferation, has shown promising initial results as a prognostic biomarker in dogs with multicentric lymphomas. The purpose of this study was to determine if baseline serum TK1 activity is associated with clinical outcome in dogs with CHOP-treated DLBCL. Baseline serum TK1 activity was measured in banked sera from 98 dogs with CHOP-treated DLBCL using a commercially available ELISA kit. Data on other potential prognostic factors were abstracted retrospectively from electronic medical records. Multivariable statistical methods were used to identify associations between TK1 and other potential prognostic factors with progression-free survival (PFS) and attainment of complete remission. TK1 activity at baseline was not associated with PFS (p = .299) or attainment of complete remission (p = .910) following CHOP chemotherapy. Of the other prognostic factors analysed, only purebred (vs. mixed breed) status (HR 8.81, 95% CI 1.68–46.30, p = .010), attainment of complete (vs. partial) remission (HR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02–0.49, p = .006), and baseline serum C-reactive protein concentration (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07–1.32, p = .001) were independently associated with PFS. Based on these findings, baseline serum TK1 activity does not appear to be a useful prognostic biomarker in dogs with CHOP-treated DLBCL.     

Effects of different dietary lipids on growth and tissue fatty acid changes in fry of the carp Catla catla (Hamilton)

A study was conducted with fry of Catla catla (Hamilton) to investigate the effects of dietary lipid supplements on growth, feed conversion, tissue fatty acid composition and the intestinal lipase activity. Four treatment diets were prepared using purified ingredients incorporating sunflower oil (n-6 fatty acids), cod liver oil (n-3 fatty acid source) and a mixture (1:1) of sunflower and cod liver oil in three diets. The fourth diet was lipid-free and served as the control. The best growth and survival was recorded for fish given the diet having a mixture of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids (weight gain was 380% and survival was 93%), followed by the n-6 diet (320% and 88%), the n-3 diet (290% and 84%) and the lipid-free diet (239.9% and 82%). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and per cent protein deposited (PPD) followed a similar trend. The intestinal lipase activity (expressed as μg α-naphthol liberated mg^_1 protein hr-¹) was 83.3, 74.2, 80.1 and 53.7 for n-3 and n-6, n-6, n-3 and lipid-free diet treatments respectively. The fatty acid profile of the whole body was shown to be influenced by dietary fatty acid composition. The results of this laboratory study indicated that a combination of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids is important for growth and survival of this species. The extent to which such observations will be relevant in field conditions can be stated only after results of feeding trials in ponds are available.