Airway inflammation induced after allergic poly-sensitization can be prevented by mucosal but not by systemic administration of poly-peptides.

BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple sensitizations require alternative forms of treatment, as the efficacy of conventional immunotherapy is unsatisfactory. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we sought to compare the efficacy of a subcutaneously (s.c.) and a mucosally applied polyvalent vaccine to reduce allergic immune responses within airway and lung tissues. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunized with recombinant (r)Bet v 1, rPhl p 1 and rPhl p 5, followed by an aerosol challenge of birch and phleum pollen extract. For tolerance induction, either a mixture of the immunodominant peptides or a hybrid peptide of the respective antigens was s.c. injected or intranasally applied before poly-sensitization. RESULTS: Mucosal but not systemic pre-treatment with poly-peptides led to significant suppression of eosinophils and IL-5 production in bronchoalveolar lavages, as well as IL-5, IL-4, IL-13 and eotaxin levels in lung cell cultures. Lung histology showed a clear reduction of cellular infiltration and mucus production only in intranasally pre-treated mice. In accordance, also the systemic immune response, characterized by IgE-dependent basophil degranulation and IL-4 levels in vitro, was significantly reduced by mucosal antigen application, but only marginally influenced by subcutaneous pre-treatment. Both treatment routes led to up-regulated CTLA4 expression in splenocytes, whereas only after mucosal pre-treatment Foxp3 expression levels were enhanced in lung CD3(+) T cells. Furthermore, intranasal but not subcutaneous application of the peptides enhanced IL-10 levels in the lungs, indicating regulatory mechanisms operating in local tolerance induction. CONCLUSION: Mucosal application of peptides is superior to systemic application in preventing both local and systemic poly-allergic T helper2 immune responses, suggesting mucosal tolerance induction as an attractive strategy for the primary and secondary prevention of allergic multi-sensitization and lung pathology.

Screening for West Nile virus infections of susceptible animal species in Austria.

Avian mortality and encephalomyelitis in equines are considered good indicators for West Nile virus (WNV) activity. We retrospectively tested 385 horse sera for WNV antibodies and looked for WNV nucleic acid and/or WNV antigen in paraffin embedded tissues from 12 horses with aetiologically unresolved encephalomyelitis and 102 free-living birds of different species which had been found dead. With the exception of four horses originating from eastern European countries investigated on the occasion of transit through Austria, all horse sera were negative. Nested RT-PCR of the horse tissues yielded no amplification of WNV-RNA. Also, all bird samples, examined by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and nested RT-PCR were negative for WNV. These results indicate that currently WNV cannot be considered a significant pathogen in Austria.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of gallbladder wall thickness in cats.

Ultrasonography of the gallbladder and biliary tract was performed on 42 cats: 22 clinically healthy cats (group A) and 20 cats with hepatobiliary disease and post mortem confirmation of gallbladder abnormalities (group B). The gallbladder wall was visible in 9 of 22 cats in group A and all 20 cats in group B. Additional gallbladder findings in group B included shape anomalies, biliary tract obstruction, wall thickening, polyps, neoplasia, and biliary sludge. Ultrasonographic evaluation of abdominal organs identified pancreatic disease as the predominant pathological cause of extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Hepatic parenchymal involvement was noted with inflammation and thickening of the gallbladder wall. Histologically, gallbladder walls were characterized by mucous gland hyperplasia, inflammation, infiltration, edema, epithelial detachment, and/or neoplasia. Ultrasonographic and histologic gallbladder wall measurements of 20 cats in group B agreed within 0.4 mm and all cats with a gallbladder wall thickness > or =1.0 mm had histopathologic abnormalities of the wall. Serum biochemical analysis revealed elevations of one or more parameters in all cats of group B, but was non-specific for a gallbladder lesion. The results of this study indicate that a visible, echogenic gallbladder wall can be considered a normal variant and is not always associated with hepatobiliary disease. Ultrasonography is accurate in measuring gallbladder wall thickness. Wall thickness greater than 1 mm is accurate in predicting gallbladder disease in cats, while a thickness less than 1 mm cannot rule out mild or chronic inflammation.

Cytogenetic variation in six cases of feline mammary tumours.

Mammary carcinomas of six feline patients were subjected to karyotypic analysis. A broad variation in the numerical and structural alterations was evident. None the less, several repeatedly occurring alterations were observed.

Osteochondroma of the tracheal wall in a Fischer's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri, Reichenow 1887).

A Fischer's lovebird with dyspnea and stridorous breathing was examined by endoscopy. Tracheal stenosis was observed slightly cranial of the middle of the cervical segment. Histologically, an osteochondroma was identified as the cause of this stenosis. This is the first description of a tracheal osteochondroma in a bird.

Canine tumour suppressor gene p53--mutation in a case of adenoma of circumanal glands.

Highly conserved regions of the tumour suppressor gene p53, including the typical human tumour hot spots (codons 175, 245, 248, 249, 273 and 282), were investigated in various canine neoplasms. A mutation CGG-->TGG (arginine-->tryptophan) was detected in codon 249 in an adenoma of the circumanal gland.

Cytogenetic variation between four cases of feline fibrosarcoma.

Short term cultures of four feline fibrosarcomas were analysed cytogenetically. There was marked genetic heterogeneity between the four cats, each showing a different clonal abnormality. The aberrations detected were one deleted B2, one marker F1 and two reciprocal translocations, t (A2q; E3q) and t (A1q; B4p).

Histology of the skin and determination of blood and serum parameters during the recovery phase of sarcoptic manage in cattle after avermectin (Ivomec) treatment.

Calves experimentally infested with Sarcoptes bovis were treated 14 weeks post infectionem with an avermectin pour-on preparation (Ivomec). On day 0 before and 14, 28 and 56 days after treatment mite count, scabies lesion score, histological sections of the skin, blood- (number of erythrocytes, PCV, Haemoglobin, MCV, MCH, MCHC, number of leukocytes, differential blood picture) and serum parameter (GOT/AST, GGT, GLDH, glucose, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, sodium, potassium and chloride) and Sarcoptes specific immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M were determined. 14 days after treatment no mites could be found in skin scrapings and the mange lesions were in recovery stage. 28 days after treatment the skin mostly was macroscopically unchanged. On all examination days in skin biopsies hyperkeratosis, mostly accompanied by epidermal hyperplasia and perivascular infiltration with eosinophil granulocytes and mononuclear cells was observed. The dominance of eosinophil granulocytes in the tissue decreased after treatment, while mononuclear cells increased and dominated in most cases on day 28 over eosinophil granulocytes. The differential blood count in most cases showed elevated lymphocytes on all examination days, increase of neutrophil granulocytes and decrease of eosinophil granulocytes between day 0 and 14. Monocytes on day 28 showed a marked decrease, thereafter on day 56 a marked elevation. Slightly increased serum enzyme activities were seen with GLDH and GOT on day 0 before treatment and with GLDH on day 56 after treatment. The specific antibody titer against Sarcoptes antigen showed decreasing immunoglobulin G titre and increasing immunoglobulin M titre during the investigation.

Mutations in tumour suppressor gene p53 in two feline fibrosarcomas.

Exons 5-7 of the tumour suppressor gene p53 were investigated in genomic DNA of tumours of domestic cats. In one fibrosarcoma investigated we observed a mutation GAG-->AAG (glutamic acid-->lysine) in codon 180; in another there was a mutation CGG-->TGG (arginine-->tryptophane) in codon 248.

Loss of chromosome B2-material in three cases of feline mammary tumours.

Tumour cells in three cases of mammary gland neoplasms in cats were analysed cytogenetically. There was a loss of chromosome B2-material in all the cases, and a loss of chromosome E3-material in two of them.

Cytogenetic characterization of a fibroma and three haemangiopericytomas in domestic dogs.

Cytogenetic evaluation of tumour cells taken from an 11-year-old mixed breed birth with a fibroma, showed trisomy 1 (2n = 79) and often the presence of a third copy of chromosome 4. In a 13-year-old mixed breed Boxer bitch with a haemangiopericytoma, trisomy 9 (2n = 79) was present. In contrast, another haemangiopericytoma (in a 15-year-old rough-haired Dachshund bitch) showed a deleted chromosome 1, several centric fusions and trisomy 2. Trisomy 2 and trisomy 29 were detected in a third haemangiopericytoma from an 11-year-old rough-haired Dachshund bitch.

Analysis of complex cytogenetic alterations in three canine mammary sarcomas.

Cells of mammary sarcomas in three dogs were analysed cytogenetically. In an osteoidsarcoma, hyperdiploidy with a range of 92 to 98 chromosomes, and several structural aberrations (for example, a derivative chromosome 1, isochromosome 13 and several bi-armed markers) were observed. Isochromosome 13 was also present in a case of an osteoidchondrosarcoma. In a case of chondro-osteosarcoma both hypodiploidy with a chromosome range of 60 to 66 and hyperdiploidy with a range of 115 to 128 and several centric fusions were observed.

[Toxic effects in rabbits after immunization against the pyrrolizidine alkaloid retrorsine]. / Toxische Effekte beim Kaninchen durch Immunisierung gegen das Pyrrolizidinalkaloid Retrorsin.

Six rabbits were immunized against the pyrrolizidine alkaloid retrorsin, conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Seven i.v. inoculations were distributed over a period of half a year. The total antigen dose differed between animals. Towards the end of the experiment all animals (except 2 receiving the lowest antigen dose) suffered from apathy, anorexia and loss of body weight. Pathologically these symptoms correlated well with liver cirrhosis, gradually dependent on the total antigen dose. Blood-chemical parameters were disparate and contradictory.

Cytogenetic studies in a canine malignant melanoma.

In a 13-year-old, male rough-haired Dachshund with a malignant melanoma, cytogenetic evaluation of tumour cells showed hyperdiploidy (79 to 81 chromosomes) in 50 per cent of the metaphases. Several bi-armed chromosomes (centric fusions, one isochromosome and two unidentified markers) were observed.

Characterisation of complex karyotype changes in two canine bone tumours.

Two dogs developed osteosarcomas. In both cases, the cytogenetic analysis revealed the presence of numerically and structurally altered karyotypes. The chromosome ranges were 90 to 99 and 65 to 67, respectively. Centric fusions frequently identified were 1/3, 1/30 and 2/9 in one case, 3/19, 12/18 and 13/17 in the other.

Characterisation of complex karyotype changes in a canine thyroid adenoma.

A 14-year-old German shepherd dog developed an alveolar adenoma of the thyroid. The cytogenetic evaluation of the tumour cells showed two ranges of chromosome numbers. Centric fusions 2/32, 5/26, 6/11, 8/11, 9/23 and 14/31 were G-band identified in this complex change of karyotype.