Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma in a dog

CASE HISTORY: A 14-year-old neutered male Bearded Collie was presented with a history of recurrent, intermittent urinary incontinence of 7 years duration.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: A large, firm, non-painful mass was found in the mid-abdominal region on palpation. Ultrasonography of the mass revealed a compartmentalised structure with mixed echogenicity, and which did not appear to be associated with any of the abdominal organs. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates contained several clusters of epithelial cells with cytological features of hepatocytes. At exploratory laparotomy, the mass was found in the gastrosplenic ligament within the greater omentum.

PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS AND DIAGNOSIS: Histopathologically, the mass consisted of sheets of hepatocytes, but without the characteristic hepatic architecture. The cells showed moderate variation in nuclear size and were sometimes binucle- ate. A diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the mesentery was made.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The presence of ectopic hepatic tissue has been reported rarely in man and cats, but not in the dog. Neoplastic transformation of ectopic hepatic tissue is seen in man. This is the first report of the presentation, clinical findings and treatment of a dog with ectopic HCC.     

Diagnostic testing patterns of natural Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infection in pygmy goats

Thirteen pygmy goats (Capra hircus) from a herd naturally infected with Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MPTB) were monitored with 4 diagnostic assays for 2 to 15 mo. Cellular and humoral immune responses to the infection were assessed with assays of gamma interferon (IFNγ), serum antibody [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and agar gel diffusion (AGID)], and radiometric fecal culture. Microscopic examination and radiometric culture of tissue from 12 sites were performed at necropsy. Goats were considered infected if MPTB was isolated from any tissue sample collected at necropsy. Mycobacterial isolates were confirmed as MPTB with an IS900 polymerase chain reaction assay. Ten goats whose antemortem tests indicated infection carried heavy organism burdens at necropsy, both within and beyond the gastrointestinal system. False-negative ELISA, AGID, and/or culture results were obtained in 5 of the 10 confirmed cases during the study period. In 3 goats with sporadic fecal shedding of MPTB or detectable IFNγ response, or both, no abnormalities were detected at necropsy and no MPTB was isolated from the tissue samples; the antemortem fecal-culture and IFNγ results were thus considered false-positive. Diagnosticians should be alert to the possibility of both false-positive and false-negative test results for Johne's disease in goats. False-positive fecal-culture results may occur when a high prevalence of infection exists in the herd and the premises are likely to be heavily contaminated. The diverse antemortem testing patterns seen in these goats underscore the importance of using varied diagnostic assays serially or in parallel to increase the likelihood of identifying all infected goats.     

Trauma resulting in hemarthrosis and long medial collateral ligament desmitis of the tarsocrural joint in a horse

A horse was initially diagnosed with hemarthrosis and desmitis of the long medial collateral ligament of the right tarsus and later developed prominent enthesiophytosis at the site of insertion of the ligament's deep portion. Hemarthrosis due to intra- or peri-articular pathology can cause recurrent lameness, even without evident external trauma.     

Equine amnionitis and fetal loss: The case definition for an unrecognised cause of abortion in mares

A series of abortions occurred in mares in New South Wales during 2004 that involved similar and unusual findings on post mortem examination of aborted fetuses and fetal membranes. The term Equine Amnionitis and Fetal Loss (EAFL) was developed to describe the condition. This form of abortion had not been previously recognised in Australia. The pathology alone is not specific for EAFL and diagnosis requires demonstration of a combination of certain pathological and bacteriological features. The purpose of this paper is to describe patterns considered consistent with EAFL cases as a working case definition for use by veterinarians and veterinary pathologists in identifying future cases of EAFL. More detailed papers are in preparation to fully describe the epidemiological, histopathological, and microbiological aspects of EAFL.     

干扰lnc23后牛骨骼肌卫星细胞转录组测序的生物信息学分析

试验旨在分析lnc23在调控牛骨骼肌卫星细胞分化过程中转录组水平的变化,筛选出可能参与调节骨骼肌卫星细胞生长的调控通路及相关mRNAs。采用第二代测序技术（next-generation sequencing,NGS）基于Illumia hiSeq测序平台对成功构建的lnc23抑制模型及相应对照组的牛骨骼肌卫星细胞进行转录组测序,将数据整理、过滤及评估后,通过生物信息学方法分析样品间基因转录差异表达,对这些差异基因进行GO和KEGG富集分析,并应用实时荧光定量PCR技术对转录组数据结果进行验证。结果显示,转录组测序共鉴定到19 358个基因,筛选到1 297个差异表达基因,其中上调856个,下调441个。差异基因的GO功能分析共包括细胞组分、分子功能和生物学过程3大类222个分支,其中有大量的差异基因与催化活性、分子功能调节、信号转导、生物黏附、新陈代谢相关。KEGG分析显示,差异基因共涉及190个通路,显著富集在PI3K-Akt、P53、TNF、RIG-Ⅰ样受体、神经活性配体受体互作、细胞因子互作等信号通路上,进一步从中筛选出可能参与细胞生长、肌肉发育过程的差异基因,如CCNA2、RRM2、IL-6、MYL2等。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,所选的11个差异基因中有9个与转录组测序结果变化一致,表明了测序结果的可靠性。本试验完成了干扰lnc23及其对照后牛骨骼肌卫星细胞的转录组测序分析,获取差异基因的功能注释信息,初步揭示lnc23调控牛骨骼肌卫星细胞分化的潜在基因和通路,为深入探究lnc23调控牛骨骼肌卫星细胞的分化机制打下良好的基础。     

Akabane disease in sheep

Perinatal lamb mortality, associated with malformations of the CNS due to Akabane viral infection, occurred in 4 of 9 flocks of ewes lambing on 3 farms between 26 May and 14 November, 1976. Cases were restricted to ewes conceiving prior to the second week of March and lambing between 26 May and 19 July. As judged by seroconversion in sentinel flocks on 2 of the farms, field infection with Akabane virus occurred mainly between mid-February and mid-April. Malformations of the CNS occurred in 42.5%, 51.2%, 100% and 31.0% of the dead lambs examined in the affected flocks respectively. Prevalence in the 4 affected flocks, expressed as the proportion of ewes lambing which delivered at least one malformed foetus, was 6.1%, 8.4%, 88.9% and 5.7% respectively. Lamb mortality due to malformations of the CNS was 7.1%, 5.5%, 92.3% and 5.7% of lambs born. Age-specific prevalence was calculated for 3 of the 4 flocks and 2-year-old ewes accounted for 71.4% and 76.9% of total cases respectively in 2 flocks, whereas in one flock malformations occurred at equivalent frequencies throughout several older age groups. Birthweights of affected lambs were usually significantly lighter than those of unaffected lambs of similar sex and birth-type, and their mean duration of gestation was slightly, and significantly, prolonged. Micrencephaly (88.1% of cases) and hydrocephalus (68.7% of cases) were the outstanding pathological features of the malformations with hydranencephaly, microgyria, porencephaly and attenuation of the spinal cord occurring at much lower frequencies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)