Digoxigenin-labeled in situ hybridization for the detection of Streptococcus suis DNA in polyserositis and a comparison with biotinylated in situ hybridization.

The objective of this study was to develop digoxigenin-labeled in situ hybridization (ISH) for the detection of Streptococcus suis in naturally infected pigs with polyserositis and to compare it with biotinylated ISH. Digoxigenin-labeled hybridization signals for S. suis were observed in cells that had infiltrated the fibrous polyserositis and microcolonies in the blood vessels. Mock hybridization showed no hybridization signals for endogenous digoxigenin. Biotinylated hybridization signals for S. suis were observed in cells that had infiltrated the fibrous polyserositis. However, similar hybridization signals were also observed in the fibrous inflammatory area using mock hybridization for endogenous biotin. The present study demonstrated that digoxigenin-labeled ISH is a valuable diagnostic tool for specific detection of S. suis in polyserositic tissues without nonspecific reactions compared with biotinylated ISH.

Program of vaccination and antibiotic treatment to control polyserositis caused by Haemophilus parasuis under field conditions.

The present study investigated the effects of vaccinating sows and piglets or piglets alone against Haemophilus parasuis on the prevalence of H. parasuis in nasal swabs, on the humoral and cellular immune responses, and on the production parameters of piglets at 3 Korean farms with a clinical history of polyserositis caused by H. parasuis. Piglets born to vaccinated or non-vaccinated sows were subdivided into 3 groups: vaccinated sows and vaccinated pigs (VS-VP), non-vaccinated sows and vaccinated pigs (NVS-VP), and non-vaccinated sows and non-vaccinated pigs (NVS-NVP). The proportion of piglets with positive nasal swabs was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the vaccinated animals (VS-VP and NVS-VP groups) than in the non-vaccinated animals (NVS-NVP group) at 35 and 60 d of age at the 3 farms. The overall growth performance (from 7 to 60 d of age) of the vaccinated piglets was significantly better (P < 0.05) than that of the non-vaccinated piglets at the 3 farms. Piglets in the VS-VP group had significantly higher levels (P < 0.05) of H. parasuis-specific IgG antibodies, lymphocyte proliferation, and interferon-γ-secreting cells than piglets in the NVS-VP and NVS-NVP groups on days 1, 7, 21, 35, and 60 after birth at the 3 farms.

Ce projet visait à étudier les effets de la vaccination contre Haemophilus parasuis des truies et des porcelets ou des porcelets uniquement sur la prévalence d'H. parasuis dans des écouvillons nasaux, sur les réponses immunitaires humorale et cellulaire, et sur les paramètres de production des porcelets dans trois fermes coréennes avec une histoire de cas cliniques de polysérosites causés par H. parasuis. Les porcelets nés de truies vaccinées et non-vaccinées ont été répartis en trois groupes : truies vaccinées et porcelets vaccinés (VS-VP), truies non-vaccinées et porcelets vaccinés (NVS-VP), et truies non-vaccinées et porcelets non-vaccinés (NVS-NVP). La proportion de porcelets positifs pour H. parasuis à partir de l'écouvillon nasal était significativement plus faible (P < 0,05) chez les animaux vaccinés (groupes VS-VP et NVS-VP) que chez les animaux non-vaccinés (groupe NVS-NVP) à 35 et 60 jours d'âge sur les trois fermes. Sur les 3 fermes, les performances de croissance globales (de 7 à 60 jours d'âge) des porcelets vaccinés étaient significativement meilleures (P < 0,05) que celles des porcelets non-vaccinés. Sur les trois fermes, les porcelets du groupe VS-VP avaient des niveaux significativement plus élevés (P < 0,05) d'anticorps IgG spécifiques contre H. parasuis, de prolifération lymphocytaire, et de cellules secrétant de l'interféron-γ que les porcelets dans les groupes NVS-VP et NVS-NVP aux jours 1, 7, 21, 35, et 60 après la naissance.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

A canine febrile disorder associated with elevated interleukin-6.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a human disorder characterized by recurrent fever of unknown origin (RFUO), renal amyloidosis, and evidence of peritonitis, pleuritis, and/or synovitis. This report suggests that Chinese Shar-pei (CSP) dogs suffer from a similar syndrome. CSP dogs with RFUO (n = 15) showed greater levels of IL-6 in serum than normal controls, hypergammaglobulinemia, and normal or supranormal in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis in response to mitogen stimulation, when compared to healthy afebrile dogs. In patients 2 years old or older, RFUO was associated with renal failure, renal amyloidosis, and swollen joints. An epidemiological survey of privately owned dogs indicated a RFUO prevalence of 23% in CSP dogs (n = 132) and 1% in dogs of all breeds (n = 98). Increased levels of circulating cytokines, such as IL-6, have been shown to influence such processes as the febrile response, antibody production, and the synthesis of amyloid precursors. We propose that CSP dogs with RFUO, renal amyloidosis, and joint inflammation may serve as an animal model of FMF and that the clinical syndrome is associated with elevated levels of circulating IL-6.