Evaluation of a smartphone-based colorimetric method for urinalysis dipstick readings in cats.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic performances of a smartphone-based colorimetric method (SBCM) for urinalysis with a semi-automated point-of-care (POC) analyser using standardised solutions and cat urine. METHODS: Artificial solutions (negative and positive quality controls, and purposely designed artificial urine) and natural urine from 216 cats were used. Two urine reagent strips were simultaneously dipped in each sample. One dipstick was read by the SBCM and the other by the POC analyser at the same time. Results for pH, proteins, bilirubin, 'blood', glucose and ketones were considered. Overall agreement and sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the SBCM were determined based on selected cut-offs. RESULTS: For the artificial solutions, 80 comparisons were obtained for each analyte and each expected concentration. The overall agreement (exactly the same result) between the two methods was 78.4%. SBCM sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 99.0%, 100% and 99.3%, respectively. The correlation between the two methods was almost perfect (Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.9851). For natural urine samples, the overall agreement (including pH) was 68.6%. Using optimal cut-offs for the SBCM determined from the results of analysis of artificial solutions, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the SBCM were 100%, 76.02% and 80.5%, respectively. In this situation, the correlation between the two methods was moderate (Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.5401). This was mostly due to a high rate of false-positive results for bilirubin (61.1%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: With proper cut-off use (ie, considering positive or negative results) the SBCM evaluated here has a perfect sensitivity and appropriate diagnostic performances for proteins, 'blood', glucose and ketones. Based on these experimental data, this method appears suitable for dipstick urinalysis but positive results for bilirubin and proteins have to be confirmed.

Usefulness of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging for diagnosing primary vascular ectasia in a dog.

A 2-year-old spayed female crossbred dog was presented for profuse, acute, and chronic vaginal hemorrhage. Coagulation disorders were excluded. Conventional diagnostic imaging failed to precisely identify the source of bleeding. After whole-blood transfusion, magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging allowed the visualization of unique vascular patterns within the vaginal wall. Presumptive diagnosis of vaginal vascular ectasia was made and confirmed by histopathological examination. Surgical management with subtotal vaginectomy cured the dog. Key clinical message: Vascular ectasia is rarely reported in veterinary medicine and is challenging to diagnose. This is apparently the first report of the usefulness of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging as a diagnostic tool for vascular ectasia in a dog.

Apport de la fonction imagerie à bande étroite en endoscopie pour la détection d'une ectasie vasculaire primaire chez un chien. Une chienne femelle stérilisée de race croisée a été présentée pour récidive aiguë et profuse de saignements vaginaux perdurant de façon intermittente depuis l'adoption. Le bilan de coagulation ne présentait pas d'anomalie et les examens d'imagerie conventionnels n'ont pas permis d'identifier avec certitude l'origine de l'hémorragie. Après transfusion, la réalisation d'une endoscopie utilisant un processus informatique de chromoscopie virtuelle par bandes spectrales étroites a permis la visualisation d'un réseau vasculaire anormal sur la paroi vaginale. La présomption d'ectasie vasculaire vaginal a été confirmée par examen histologique. La résolution complète des saignements a été constatée après réalisation d'une vaginectomie subtotale.Message clinique clé:Les ectasies vasculaires (angiodysplasie) sont peu souvent rapportées en médecine vétérinaire et leur diagnostic est difficile à établir. Ce cas relate pour la première fois l'intérêt de la chromoscopie virtuelle par bandes spectrales étroites en endoscopie vétérinaire dans la prise en charge diagnostique d'une ectasie vasculaire vaginale chez un chien.(Traduit par les auteurs).

Additional Value of Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy in the Diagnosis of Feline Collagen Type III Glomerulopathy.

A 1.5-year-old neutered female Domestic Shorthair cat was euthanized after the diagnosis of end-stage protein-losing nephropathy associated with the onset of nephrotic syndrome. At necropsy, both kidneys were diffusely pale and swollen with a granular cortex. Histologically, glomeruli had diffuse global mesangial and capillary wall expansion by homogeneous pale eosinophilic material. This material was Congo red negative, blue with Masson's trichrome stain, weakly positive with periodic acid-Schiff stain, bright red with Picrosirius red and birefringent under polarized light. Transmission electron microscopy and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy revealed mesangial and subendothelial collagen fibril deposition. Type III collagen deposition was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. This study provides an original and complete description of feline collagen type III glomerulopathy and emphasizes the possibility of directly diagnosing glomerular collagen deposition on unstained slides through SHG microscopy.

Effects of storage conditions on results for quantitative and qualitative evaluation of proteins in canine urine.

OBJECTIVE To investigate effects of storage conditions on the canine urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC) and on SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) of urinary proteins. SAMPLE Urine specimens from 20 proteinuric (UPC > 0.5) and 20 nonproteinuric (UPC ≤ 0.2) dogs. PROCEDURES UPC and SDS-AGE were performed on urine specimens stored at room temperature (20°C) and 4°C for up to 5 days and at -20° and -80°C for up to 360 days; some specimens were subjected to 3 freeze-thaw cycles. Results were compared with those obtained for fresh urine specimens. RESULTS UPC was not affected by storage at room temperature or by freezing. A decrease in UPC was observed for specimens from nonproteinuric dogs after 5 days at 4°C (10%) and from both groups after 90 days at -20° and -80°C (≤ 20% and ≤ 15%, respectively). The SDS-AGE profiles revealed no visual changes regardless of duration of storage for specimens stored at room temperature, 4°C, and -80°C, except for 1 profile after 360 days at -80°C. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles did not affect SDS-AGE profiles. Appearance or strengthening of high-molecular-weight bands that could alter interpretation was evident in SDS-AGE profiles after storage at -20°C for ≥ 15 days (31/40 dogs). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Storage of urine at -20° or -80°C for up to 1 year influenced the UPC without affecting clinical interpretation. Storage of urine specimens at -20°C impaired visual analysis of SDS-AGE. When SDS-AGE cannot be performed on fresh or recently refrigerated urine specimens, storage at -80°C is recommended.

Characterization of Proteinuria in Dogue de Bordeaux Dogs, a Breed Predisposed to a Familial Glomerulonephropathy: A Retrospective Study.

Dogue de Bordeaux dog has been reported to be predisposed to a familial glomerulonephropathy that displays some morphological modifications reported in focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. Prevalence of quantitatively abnormal renal proteinuria was recently reported to be 33% in this breed. The nature of the proteinuria was assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis and determinations of urinary markers (urinary retinol-binding protein, urinary N-acetyl-ß-glucosaminidase, urinary albumin and urinary immunoglobulin G) on stored specimens. Diagnostic performances of sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis to identify dogs with elevated urinary biomarkers were assessed. Samples from 102 adult Dogue de Bordeaux dogs (47 non-proteinuric [urine protein-to-creatinine ratio ≤ 0.2], 20 borderline-proteinuric [0.2< urine protein-to-creatinine ratio ≤ 0.5] and 35 proteinuric dogs [urine protein-to-creatinine ratio >0.5]) were used, of which 2 were suffering from familial glomerulonephropathy. The electrophoretic protein patterns, for all but one proteinuric dog, were indicative of a glomerular origin and, in all dogs, the urinary albumin concentration related to creatinine concentration and the urinary immunoglobulin G concentration related to creatinine concentration were above the upper limit of the reference interval established for the breed. Sensitivity and specificity of sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis identifying dogs with elevated urinary albumin concentration were 94% and 92%, respectively, while diagnostic performance of sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis in detecting dogs with elevated urinary immunoglobulin G concentration yielded sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 74%, respectively. These results suggest that all proteinuric and some borderline-proteinuric Dogue de Bordeaux dogs likely have underlying glomerular lesions and that sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis and urinary markers might be useful to screen dogs with borderline-proteinuria. Additional investigations are warranted to assess if these findings are related to the familial glomerulonephropathy.

Assessment of Toll-like receptor 2, 4 and 9 SNP genotypes in canine sino-nasal aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: The exact aetiology of canine sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA) is unknown. In man, dysfunction in innate immunity, particularly in the function of pattern recognition receptors, is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory sino-nasal disease and in fungal diseases. Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and these diseases have been identified. Similarly, in dogs SNPs in genes encoding TLRs may be important in the pathogenesis of SNA. The aims of the present study were (1) to identify the presence of non-synonymous SNPs in the coding regions of the TLR2, 4 and 9 genes in dogs suffering from SNA, and (2) to investigate the SNP genotypes in dogs with SNA compared with a control population. RESULTS: Direct sequencing of nine dogs of various breeds with SNA revealed two non-synonymous SNPs in the coding region of TLR2, eight in TLR4 and four in TLR9. These non-synonymous SNPs were further evaluated in a case-control study of affected Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers and Beaucerons. Genotyping was performed using a combination of allele-specific primers and hydrolysis probe assays in 31 dogs with SNA and 31 controls. No significant difference in minor allele frequency was identified between these groups, for all studied SNPs, in any of the four breeds. CONCLUSIONS: These findings do not support a role for non-synonymous SNPs in the TLR 2, 4 and 9 coding regions in the pathogenesis of canine SNA, but do not exclude a role for innate immunity in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Pseudomembranous cystitis, an unusual condition associated with feline urine outflow obstruction: Four cases.

The clinical follow-up of four cats presumptively diagnosed with pseudomembranous cystitis is described. All presented with acute urine outflow obstruction and acute renal failure. Urethral catheterisation was performed without difficulty but ultrasonography and contrast radiography consistently revealed abnormal bladder wall and content. One cat was euthanased, the remaining three underwent an exploratory cystotomy. Abundant inflammatory and necrotic tissue covering an ulcerated bladder mucosa was removed. All cats recovered uneventfully. No definitive cause was identified but the clinical course of the disease was not typical of idiopathic cystitis.

Protein-losing enteropathies in dogs.

Protein-losing enteropathy is common in dogs but rare in cats. In the vast majority of cases, it is associated with inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal lymphoma, or intestinal lymphangiectasia. The diagnosis is based on identification of hypoalbuminemia and ruling out urinary loss and liver failure. Identification of the intestinal lesion with appropriate biopsy method is important to rule out neoplasm or infectious causes. The treatment is based on intensive nutritional support, therapy for the causative condition, and early monitoring of possibly life-threatening complications, such as hypocobalaminemia, massive pleural or abdominal fluid collection, thromboembolism, and hypocalcemia or hypomagnesemia.

Efficacy of intrasinusal administration of bifonazole cream alone or in combination with enilconazole irrigation in canine sino-nasal aspergillosis: 17 cases.

This study evaluated the effect of 1% bifonazole cream in the treatment of canine sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA). The cream was instilled through perendoscopically placed catheters into the frontal sinuses and was used either as single therapy after debridement (DC) or as adjunctive therapy after 2% enilconazole infusion (DEC). Twelve dogs were treated initially with DEC: 7 and 3 of these dogs were free of disease after 1 and 2 procedures, respectively, while 2 dogs were cured after DC was used as a second procedure. Five dogs were treated with DC only: in 3 dogs with moderate disease, cure was obtained after a single procedure while, in 2 debilitated patients, cure could not be confirmed. Topical administration of 1% bifonazole cream appears as an effective therapy in SNA, either as an adjunctive therapy to enilconazole infusion or as sole therapy in moderately affected patients.