Pulmonary pythiosis in a canine patient.

A Staffordshire terrier presented for evaluation of a chronic, nonproductive cough that was unresponsive to antibiotic therapy. A large mass identified in the pulmonary hilum was most consistent with tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy on radiographic and computed tomography (CT) images. Bronchoscopy confirmed a mass compressing the dorsal portion of the intrathoracic trachea. Bronchoscopic biopsies of the tracheal mass revealed necrosuppurative and eosinophilic inflammation with intralesional Pythium insidiousum hyphae. Pythiosis should be included as a differential diagnosis for tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy and bronchopneumopathy in dogs, especially when the patient is from or has visited a region endemic for Pythium insidiosum.

Linked gene ontology categories are novel and differ from associated gene ontology categories for the bipolar disorders.

Family, and twin genetic studies strongly indicate gene variants as predisposing to the bipolar disorders. Now, about 3000 genes are genetically linked and about 44 genes are genetically associated. Rank differences, however, exist between the linked gene Genetic ontology categories and the associated gene Genetic ontology categories. For the linked gene Genetic ontology categories, the activation of NF-kappaB-inducing kinase category is over-represented; in contrast, the associated genes show the Synaptic transmission category as over-represented. Association studies report selecting positional candidate genes from previous linkage studies, or, selecting genes on the basis of pathophysiologic hypotheses. Only a few of the pathophysiologic hypotheses genes, however, had been previously linked to the bipolar disorders. In particular, only a couple of the Synaptic transmission genes had been previously linked to bipolar disorders.

Action potential conduction speed and dyscorrelation, affective disorders and the influence of n - 3 essential fatty acids.

The endogenous affective disorders have been postulated to be due to the neurotransmitter theories, even though there is increasing evidence of a timing abnormality. Recently, action potential (AP) speed differentials and resulting AP dyscorrelation have been postulated for the bipolar disorders. This AP dyscorrelation path is extended here to include some of the other affective disorders. The genetic studies have confirmed loci and proteins which probably predispose to increased water compartmentalization differentials. Indeed, higher water compartmentalization differentials have been confirmed in affective phenotypes. Electrophysiological measures have consistently suggested AP dyscorrelation in patients and more recently in "unaffected" carriers. Future studies should use genotyped subjects and manipulations to investigate possible manipulation-induced water compartmentalization changes and AP speed changes.