Thermal manipulation during late embryogenesis: Effect on body weight and temperature, thyroid hormones, and differential white blood cell counts in broiler chickens.

The effects of thermal manipulation (TM) at 38.5°C and 40°C for 6 h at embryonic day (ED) 16, 9 h at ED 17, and 12 h at ED 18 on body weight (BW) and cloacal body temperature (Tb) during the first wk and later at post-hatch d 10, 14, 21, 28, and 42 were evaluated. Furthermore, chicks' ability to cope with a thermal challenge (TC; 41°C for 6 h) at post-hatch d 14 and 42 was also evaluated. A chick's response to TC was measured by determining the cloacal body temperature; the plasma thyroid hormones (thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)); the packed cell volume (PCV); the heterophil (H), lymphocyte (L), monocyte, basophil, and eosinophil percentages; and the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (H/L). Thermal manipulation did not affect the hatchability. However, the body weight of TM chicken was higher compared with controls at marketing age (post-hatch d 42). At post-hatch d 14 and 42, no significant changes in Tb were observed among the different treatment groups. However, during TC at d 14 and 42, the Tb of TM chicks was lower compared with the controls. During TC, a significant increase in plasma T4 and a significant decrease in plasma T3 of TM chicks compared with controls were reported. Furthermore, during TC, a significant increase in the PCV and heterophil, monocyte, and H/L ratios, and a reduction in the lymphocyte percentages also were observed in TM chicks compared with the controls. Results of this study showed that chicks subjected to heat manipulation during late embryogenesis respond better to heat stress later in the growth and development period.

Incidence and clinical significance of iliac vein compression.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of left common iliac vein (CIV) compression by the right common iliac artery (CIA) based on CT scan images. METHODS: CT scan images were reviewed and the diameter of CIV was measured at the area of minimal diameter and compared to the distal adjacent segment and the contralateral CIV at the same level. Medical records were reviewed for symptoms, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and risk factors that might be associated with DVT. Data were analyzed with SPSS program using both Chi square and t test. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Linear regression (R2) was used to evaluate correlation. RESULTS: A total of 300 complete records were reviewed. The mean age was 51.89 years, with 126 (42%) males. Comparison between the two groups (>70% vs <70%) showed similar clinical factors such as history of DVT, surgery, immobilization, malignancy, limb trauma, pregnancy, obesity, CHF, and smoking. There were more females with CIV compression of 70% or more than males (19.5% vs 11.1% P < .049). CONCLUSION: Diameter stenosis more than 70% was present in 30.6% of cases with higher incidence in females. The presence of stenosis was not associated with the presence of clinical symptoms.

Stent fracture in the brachiocephalic trunk.

Stents are commonly used as a tool for revascularization of different vascular beds in the body. However, many pitfalls have been reported with their use, such as thrombosis, migration, restenosis or fractures. The latter have been strongly correlated to in-stent restenosis with long-term follow-up. We report a rare case of an early stent fracture in the brachiocephalic trunk with in-stent restenosis and recurrence of symptoms. To our knowledge there has been only one case report of a delayed brachiocephalic stent fracture in the English literature. We believe that our case is the first report of an early stent fracture in the brachiocephalic trunk.

Celiac artery compression syndrome: a radiological finding without clinical symptoms?

The aim of the paper is to determine the incidence of celiac artery compression (CAC) based on computed tomography (CT) scan and correlate the findings to the clinical presentation of patients presenting for CT scan in a hospital. Abdominal CT scans of patients were reviewed between September 2010 and November 2010. CAC was diagnosed if the celiac axis appeared to have a hook or U-shaped appearance with stenosis. The medical records of the patients were reviewed for gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea), as well as food fear and weight loss. Patients with CAC had lower incidence of symptoms compared with those without CAC (42.1 versus 65.3%, P = 0.042). A total of 450 patients were evaluated. In the end, 284 had both complete medical records and CT scans. The mean age for all patients was 51.3 ± 1.2 years. There were 124 men (42.6%) and 160 (57.4%) women. Nineteen (6.7%) patients had radiological evidence of CAC. CAC is not an uncommon CT finding in patients presenting for CT scan.

Field evaluation of maternal antibody transfer to a group of pathogens in meat-type chickens.

This study was conducted to evaluate the rate of antibody transfer on a flock basis from hens to their day-old chicks in meat-type chickens raised in a commercial setting. Fifteen randomly selected hens from a commercial broiler-breeder flock were bled at 37, 40, and 45 wk of age. At day of bleeding, the collected eggs were identified and tracked through hatching where 30 hatchlings were randomly sampled and bled from the jugular vein. Antibodies against 10 different pathogens were quantified from the collected serum samples, and the percentage of maternal antibodies transfer was calculated from the chick antibody titer divided by the hen antibody titer. The results showed a significant variation in the rate of antibody transfer among the pathogens tested for. The transfer percentages were 4.3, 19.5, 25.5, 38.6, 73.6, 6.9, 32.4, 22.4, 29.2, and 32.8 for avian encephalomyelitis virus, avian influenza virus, chicken anemia virus, infectious bronchitis virus, infectious bursal disease virus, laryngotracheitis virus, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Newcastle disease virus, and reovirus, respectively. The results of this work may be used in commercial farms to predict the antibody titer in day-old chicks as a function of their dams' antibody titers.

Interference between mild and pathogenic strains of infectious bursal disease virus in chickens.

Infectious bursal disease virus is a contagious, immunosuppressive disease of young chickens that is controlled by vaccination. Cross-protection occurs between different strains of the virus as a result of shared neutralizing epitopes. However, interactions between two antigenically similar strains (a mild and a pathogenic) coinfecting the same host have not been investigated. Groups of specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated with a mild strain followed by a pathogenic strain at 0, 16, 24, or 48 hr postinoculation (PI) with a mild strain. Virus persistence and the predominant strain of the virus were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, respectively, in bursas at 2, 4, 8, 14, and 21 days PI with the pathogenic strain. Severity of infection was assessed by the bursa/body weight ratios and histopathologic lesion scores. The mild virus interfered with replication of the pathogenic virus. The greatest interference was observed when the pathogenic strain was inoculated 24 hr PI with the mild strain. The interference phenomenon observed might be due to competition for host receptor sites or production of cytokine(s). This interference phenomenon could have practical implications for vaccine usage and protection.

Effect of diffferent levels of maternally derived antibodies on protection against infectious bursal disease virus.

Fertile eggs were obtained from three different broiler breeder flocks with different levels of virus neutralizing antibodies to infectious bursal disease virus. Egg yolk from these flocks was tested for antibody titers by the virus neutralization test. Flock I eggs had no antibodies, flock II had medium level antibodies (1:200-1600; geometric mean = 1:975), and flock III had a high level of antibodies (1:1600-6400; geometric mean = 1:3365). Chicks from the above flocks were challenged each with 10(2) 50% embryo infective dose of the IN serotype 1 variant virus at 1, 2, and 4 wk of age and examined at 5 and 11 days postchallenge. The average organ/body weight ratios were calculated and statistically analyzed. Chicks with no maternal antibodies were not protected at any age. Chicks with medium levels of maternal antibodies were protected when challenged at 1 and 2 wk of age. Chicks with high levels of maternally derived antibodies were protected when challenged at all the ages tested. The above results were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Pathogenicity, attenuation, and immunogenicity of infectious bursal disease virus.

An investigation was conducted in specific-pathogen-free chickens on the pathogenicity of bursa-derived and tissue culture-attenuated classic (STC) and variant (IN) serotype 1 strains of infectious bursal disease virus. The IN bursa-derived virus caused bursal inflammation, necrosis, and atrophy earlier than the bursa-derived STC virus. Both viruses lost their pathogenicity after four passages in BGM-70 cells. A statistically significant level (P < 0.05) of protection was observed in SPF chickens vaccinated with the attenuated IN virus used as a live or inactivated vaccine followed by homologous (IN) and heterologous (STC) challenge with bursa-derived viruses.

Traumatic pericarditis in an Awassi lamb.

A case of traumatic pericarditis in a 4-month-old Awassi lamb is reported. A 6 cm long metallic wire was found penetrating the pericardium and the left ventricle through to the other side of the ventricle wall. Fibrinous pericarditis, thickening of the pericardium, fusion of the pericardium and epicardium, and epicarditis were evident. The heart was enlarged with oedematous myocarditis and focal necrotic endocarditis involving the two ventricles. The liver and spleen were also enlarged with scattered 3 mm diameter granulomas.