Antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and influenza virus and their relationships with risk factors, clinical signs and lung lesions in pig farms with one-site production systems in Brazil.

A study was conducted on 21 pig herds using one-site production system in the southeast region of Brazil to assess the relationships among serological results for primary pathogens involved in respiratory diseases (Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, App; Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mhyo; and swine influenza virus, SIV), cough index, pneumonia index, pleuritis and herd characteristics. The prevalence of antibodies against Mhyo and SIV increased throughout the raising phases, with the highest prevalence in slaughtered pigs (> 40%), while pigs in 65% (14/21) of nurseries demonstrated marked seroprevalence of App that decreased until the day of slaughter. Pleuritis and pulmonary consolidations were recorded in 9.0 and 72.4%, respectively, of the 908 evaluated lungs. Histopathological analysis of the lung lesions revealed suppurative bronchopneumonia in almost half of the lungs (48.9%). Regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors associated with the cough index; pleuritis; pulmonary consolidation; and App, Mhyo and SIV serological results. All-in-all-out management in nursery buildings reduced the seroprevalence of Mhyo in herds. App seroprevalence was associated with pleuritis, and the presence of cough episodes in growing pigs was associated with SIV seropositivity in nursery pigs.

Detection of atypical porcine pestivirus in Brazil in the central nervous system of suckling piglets with congenital tremor.

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) has been detected in piglets with congenital tremor (CT) from three different continents including North America, Europe and Asia. Thirteen piglets from four farms in two different states in Brazil with CT were sampled. Viral RNA was detected by quantitative real-time PCR in the cerebellum or cerebellum and spinal cord in the 100% of the piglets with CT, and APPV was not detected in any tissue sample from clinically non-affected piglets with the exception of the cerebellum of one piglet from Farm A. Piglets with CT had an odds ratio of 99.0 (95% CI 3.4, 2823.8; p = .0072) compared to piglets without CT to test positive for APPV by qRT-PCR. A subset of positive samples was selected for sequencing of the NS3 gene. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Brazilian sequences of the NS3 formed an independent cluster and had the highest sequence identity with a sequence from the United States. This is the first identification of APPV infection in piglets with CT in South America.

Detection of atypical porcine pestivirus in semen from commercial boar studs in the United States.

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) has recently been identified as a cause of congenital tremor (CT) in pigs and has been detected in semen and preputial swabs from boars that were known to be clinically affected with CT. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to 1) detect the presence of APPV in semen, preputial fluids and preputial swabs from adult boars by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and 2) genetically characterize a subset of positive samples to better understand the ecology of APPV in commercial boar studs and the potential risk of transmission of APPV via semen. A total of 597 samples of semen, preputial fluid and preputial swabs each representing a different boar were obtained from four commercial boar studs located in three different states in the United States. Viral RNA was detected by qRT-PCR in 90 samples (15.08%; 90/597), with the greatest per cent positive from preputial swabs (23.81%; 5/21) followed by preputial fluid (22.81%; 26/114) and semen (12.91%; 59/457). The mean cycle quantification (Cq) between sample types was similar while eleven semen samples had Cq values lower than 27.0 corresponding to approximately 2 × 106  copies/ml. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the Npro gene, different viral strains can be on the same farm at the same and different times. This is the first report of detection of APPV in semen from commercial boar studs. Studies investigating the role of semen in the transmission of APPV and production of CT are needed.

Individually-tailored thyroxine requirement in the same patients before and after thyroidectomy: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroxine (T4) requirement after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is a debated issue. As most of the studies in the area have been retrospective and/or performed with heterogeneous therapeutic approaches, we designed our study to determine T4 requirement in the same patients and treatment settings, before and after total thyroidectomy. DESIGN, PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a longitudinal study including 23 goitrous patients treated with T4 in an individually tailored fashion. All patients exhibited a stable TSH (median TSH = 0.28 mU/l) at a stable T4 dose for at least 1 year before surgery (median T4 dose = 1.50 µg/kg per day). The patients underwent total thyroidectomy based on cancer suspicion or compressive symptoms. Eventually diagnosed as having DTC (pT1b-pT2N0) and following surgical and radiometabolic treatment, they were treated with the same pre-surgical doses of T4. RESULTS: Three months after surgery,using the same pre-surgical dose, median TSH increased up to 5.38 mU/l (P<0.0001) and so the T4 dose had to be increased (median T4 dose = 1.95 µg/kg per day; +30%; P < 0.0001). Once divided by patients' age, we observed that, after thyroidectomy and maintaining the same pre-surgical dose, serum TSH significantly increased both in younger and in older patients (median TSH = 4.57 and 6.11 mU/l respectively). Serum TSH was restored to the pre-surgical level by increasing the dose up to 1.95 and 1.77 µg/kg per day (+25 and +21%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Following the same treatment regimen, a thyroidectomized patient requires one-third higher therapeutic T4 dose than before surgery. Despite this increase, the dose of T4 needed in our patients remains significantly lower than that previously described in athyreotic patients.

Sonic hedgehog gene therapy increases the ability of the dystrophic skeletal muscle to regenerate after injury.

The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is a crucial regulator of muscle development during embryogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that Sonic hedgehog (Shh) regulates postnatal myogenesis in the adult skeletal muscle both directly, by acting on muscle satellite cells, and indirectly, by promoting the production of growth factors from interstitial fibroblasts. Here, we show that in mdx mice, the murine equivalent of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in humans, progression of the dystrophic pathology corresponds to progressive inhibition of the Hh signaling pathway in the skeletal muscle. We also show that the upregulation of the Hh pathway in response to injury and during regeneration is significantly impaired in mdx muscle. Shh treatment increases the proliferative potential of satellite cells isolated from the muscles of mdx mice. This treatment also increases the production of proregenerative factors, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor, from fibroblasts isolated from the muscle of mdx mice. In vivo, overexpression of the Hh pathway using a plasmid encoding the human Shh gene promotes successful regeneration after injury in terms of increased number of proliferating myogenic cells and newly formed myofibers, as well as enhanced vascularization and decreased fibrosis.

Canine coronavirus induces apoptosis in cultured cells.

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is widespread in dogs in several countries and causes mild enteric illness evolving to severe enteritis in young pups. In in vitro cultures canine coronaviruses generally induce extensive cell death, however nature of the events leading to cell death remains largely unknown. We analysed the induction of cytopathic effect by CCoV in a canine fibrosarcoma cell line (A-72) in order to characterize the apoptotic effect in homologous cell system. Following CCoV infection A-72 cell line, which is permissive to CCoV, showed reduced growth rate, as detected by MTT assay, a standard colorimetric assay for measuring cellular proliferation, and underwent to apoptotic death. Starting from 24h after CCoV infection, cells morphology appeared dramatically changed, with cells rounding and detachment from culture surface. Morphologic and biochemical features of apoptosis, such as blebbing of the plasma membrane, translocation of phosphatidilserine to cell surface and annexin V positive staining, nuclear fragmentation, apoptotic bodies formation and DNA laddering, were detected in CCoV-infected cells. Propidium iodide staining of infected culture indicated the appearance of hypodiploid DNA peak corresponding to apoptotic cell population. Commonly to other animal coronavirus infection caspase-3 is likely to contribute to the execution phase of apoptosis induced by CCoV in A-72 cells since we found activation of enzymatic activity as well as procaspase-3 activating cleavage. Apoptotic death of infected cells is detrimental as it causes cell and tissue destruction as well as inflammatory responses. Therefore in the case of CCoV associated gastroenteritis, apoptosis of epithelial mucosa cells may be responsible for pathology induced by CCoV infection.

The transverse diameter of the abdominal part of the aorta: an anatomo-radiological study through computerized tomography.

Using the computerized tomography technique in a systematic research, the authors tried to establish the most common patterns of the transverse diameter of the abdominal part of the aorta. They observed 120 cases and reached the conclusion that in both sexes the greatest transverse diameter at T11-T12 was 27 mm, at L1-L2 it was 23 mm and at L4-L5 21 mm, while the smallest diameter was 12 mm at T11-T12, 11 mm at L1-L2 and 11 mm at L4-L5. The scarcity of researches employing computerized tomography renders this contribution an important complement of anatomical and angiographic studies.

[Chilaiditi's syndrome]. / Síndrome de Chilaiditi.

A case of complete and permanent interposition of the intestine between the liver and diaphragm (Chilaiditi's syndrome) is reported. Although it was an accidental finding, the hepato-diaphragmatic interposition may be found in persons with gastrointestinal complaints. The diagnosis only can be done through the radiological examination and it can be differentiated between the large and small intestine interposition by a barium enema. Finally references are made by the authors about the history, pathogenesis, possible symptoms and treatment of this syndrome.

Contribuicao ao estudo radiologico da gastrite cronica superficial. / Radiological study of chronic superficial gastritis

Os autores, utilizando o metodo radiologico de duplo contraste, estudaram as alteracoes encontradas na gastrite cronica superficial.A validade do metodo foi enfatizada, visto o grande indice de acertos no diagnostico. Correlacionaram ainda os aspectos radiologicos com a endoscopia e histologia em 31 pacientes, concluindo que o desaparecimento das pregas mucosas e o aparecimento de areas gastricas intumescidas sao de fundamental importancia para o diagnostico dos processos inflamatorios da mucosa gastrica

Sindrome de Chilaiditi. / Chilaiditi's syndrome

E representado um caso de interposicao hepatodiafragmatica do intestino (sindrome de Chilaiditi) do tipo completo e permanente.Apesar de ter sido um achado, a interposicao pode ocorrer geralmente acompanhada de sintomas gastrointestinais. A confirmacao diagnostica so pode ser feita atraves do exame radiologico e para se diferenciar a existencia de envolvimento do intestino delgado ou grosso deve-se utilizar o enema opaco. Finalmente sao feitas referencias aos aspectos da historia, etiopatogenia, possiveis sintomas e tratamento desta sindrome

Radiological routine examination of the stomach and duodenum by means of double contrast method.

The double contrast radiologic examination performed routinely allows us to improve the study of the mucosal relief, thus increasing the diagnosis of gastric ulcers, polyps and gastric cancer. In the operated stomach one can obtain better results with this technique than with the conventional examinations.

[Angiographic anatomy of the cecal artery]. / Anatomia angiográfica da artéria cecal.

After studying the angiographic anatomy of the cecal artery in 80 post--mortem examinations we have demonstrated the following: -The common cecal trunk (76,2% of the cases) had its origin from the right colic artery in 12 (15%) and from the ileal artery in 49 (61,2%) observations. -The anterior and posterior cecal arteries had a separate origin in 19 observations (23,7%). In 7 of these observations (8,7%) the anterior cecal artery had its origin from the right colic artery and, the posterior cecal artery originated directly from the ileal artery. In 11 observations (13,8%) both cecal arteries, originated directly from the ileal artery and, in one case (1,2%) the anterior cecal artery originated from the right colic artery and the posterior cecal artery from the ileocolic artery.

[Anatomoradiological patterns of vermiform appendix's arterial supply (author's transl)]. / Artéria apendicular: estudo anátomo-radiológico.

The authors tried to establish the most frequents anatomo-radiological patterns of the irrigation on the vermiform appendix. The search was done in one hundred cases they found six different patterns of arterial irrigation.