Clinical and Clinico-Pathological Observations of the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in Dogs Affected by Leishmaniosis and Other Inflammatory Diseases.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) has been used in canine medicine in several disorders, above all, to evaluate levels of inflammation. This study evaluated the ESR in canine leishmaniosis (CanL) and other inflammatory conditions. Three groups of dogs were examined: CanL affected dogs without clinical signs (INFECTED group, #25) or with clinical signs (SICK group, #43) and dogs affected by acute or acute-on-chronic conditions (OTHER DISEASE group, #65). The ESR was compared with acute phase proteins or reactants either positive or negative (leukogram, fibrinogen, iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, ferritin, haptoglobin, and albumin) and immunological markers (gamma-globulins, IgG, and IgM). The ESR was higher in the SICK group than in the INFECTED group (median 39 vs. 11 mm/h; p < 0.0001), as well as in the OTHER DISEASE than in the INFECTED groups (median 41 vs. 11 mm/h; p < 0.0001). The ESR appeared outside the reference range for all dogs in the SICK and OTHER DISEASE groups and almost with similar values (mm/h; median 39, 95% CI 31-51 vs. 41, 95% CI 12-87; p > 0.05). The extent of changes in ESR can help to establish the severity of CanL and other inflammatory disorders. As a point-of-care test, the ESR can be used to screen dogs for unhealthy conditions, and its values correlate with the severity of any disease, including CanL.

Evaluation of the Impact of Near-Infrared Multiwavelength Locked System Laser Therapy on Skin Microbiome in Atopic Dogs.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a newly adopted consensus term to replace the therapeutic application of low-level laser therapy. It has been suggested that PMB influences the microbiome which, in turn, has increasingly been shown to be linked with health and disease. Even though the use of PBM has also grown dramatically in veterinary medicine, there is still a lack of evidence supporting its effect in vivo. Our objective was to investigate the impact of a dual-wavelength near-infrared laser source (Multiwavelength Locked Laser System, MLS®) on the skin microbiome in atopic dogs. Twenty adult-client-owned atopic dogs were enrolled in the study. The dogs were treated with MLS® laser therapy on one half of the abdominal region, whereas the contralateral side was left untreated and served as a control. Skin microbiome samples were collected before and after MLS® treatments, and then subjected to NGS-based ITS and 16S rRNA analysis. The results showed that while microbiome composition and diversity were not significantly affected, PBM could play a role in modulating the abundance of specific bacterial species, in particular Staphylococcus, that represent a major skin pathogenic strain. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the potential impact of MLS® laser therapy on the skin microbiome in atopic dogs.

Renal amyloid-A amyloidosis in cats: Characterization of proteinuria and biomarker discovery, and associations with kidney histology.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis is a protein misfolding disease arising from serum amyloid A (SAA). Systemic AA amyloidosis recently was shown to have a high prevalence in shelter cats in Italy and was associated with azotemia and proteinuria. OBJECTIVES: Investigate urine protein profiles and diagnostic biomarkers in cats with renal AA amyloidosis. ANIMALS: Twenty-nine shelter cats. METHODS: Case-control study. Cats with renal proteinuria that died or were euthanized between 2018 and 2021 with available necropsy kidney, liver and spleen samples, and with surplus urine collected within 30 days before death, were included. Histology was used to characterize renal damage and amyloid amount and distribution; immunohistochemistry was used to confirm AA amyloidosis. Urine protein-to-creatinine (UPC) and urine amyloid A-to-creatinine (UAAC) ratios were calculated, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel electrophoresis (SDS-AGE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of proteins were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cats were included. Nineteen had AA amyloidosis with renal involvement. Cats with AA amyloidosis had a higher UPC (median, 3.9; range, 0.6-12.7 vs 1.5; 0.6-3.1; P = .03) and UAAC ratios (median, 7.18 × 10-3 ; range, 23 × 10-3 -21.29 × 10-3 vs 1.26 × 10-3 ; 0.21 × 10-3 -6.33 × 10-3 ; P = .04) than unaffected cats. The SDS-AGE identified mixed-type proteinuria in 89.4% of cats with AA amyloidosis and in 55.6% without AA amyloidosis (P = .57). The LC-MS identified 63 potential biomarkers associated with AA amyloidosis (P < .05). Among these, urine apolipoprotein C-III was higher in cats with AA amyloidosis (median, 1.38 × 107 ; range, 1.85 × 105 -5.29 × 107 vs 1.76 × 106 ; 0.0 × 100 -1.38 × 107 ; P = .01). In the kidney, AA-amyloidosis was associated with glomerulosclerosis (P = .02) and interstitial fibrosis (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Renal AA amyloidosis is associated with kidney lesions, increased proteinuria and increased urine excretion of SAA in shelter cats. Additional studies are needed to characterize the role of lipid transport proteins in the urine of affected cats.

Dermoscopic findings and comparison of usefulness of longitudinal versus transversal sections in the histological diagnosis of alopecia X.

BACKGROUND: A combination of dermoscopic and histological findings may provide useful information for the diagnosis of hair follicle diseases. However, there are no studies on dermoscopic-histopathological correlations in dogs affected by alopecia X, and comparison of longitudinal versus transversal sectioning of skin biopsy specimens in the assessment of this hair loss disorder has not been thoroughly investigated. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to correlate dermoscopic and histological features using both longitudinal and transversal sectioning of skin biopsy samples to gain additional information for the diagnosis of alopecia X. ANIMALS: Nineteen Pomeranian dogs affected by alopecia X and five healthy Pomeranians as controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dermoscopic-histological correlation was performed within the diseased group, whereas histological comparisons against controls. The demographic and clinical characteristics also were related to the histological findings. RESULTS: The dermoscopic findings revealed scattered, thinned, short hairs mixed with amorphous keratoseborrhoeic-like material (follicular plugging), perifollicular and intrafollicular scaling, and hyperpigmentation varying from pinpoint black spots to a diffuse texture. Dermoscopic findings correlated with histological findings for selected qualitative and quantitative findings. The usefulness of transversal sections was demonstrated in accurately determining the hair follicular density and counts, growth arrest phases and in identifying mineralisation of hair follicle basement membrane when compared to the longitudinal. Conversely, no correlations between histological findings and demographic and clinical characteristics were detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These data provide evidence of the usefulness of dermoscopic evaluation as an accessory diagnostic tool and of transversal sections of skin biopsies as complementary to the diagnosis of alopecia X.

Identification of Prototheca from the Cerebrospinal Fluid of a Cat with Neurological Signs.

Prototheca infections are rare in cats, and they are usually associated with cutaneous or subcutaneous infections by P. wickerhamii, with no evidence of neurological signs or systemic disease. In this study, we report the identification of prototheca in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a cat with neurological symptoms. Fourteen CSF samples were gathered from cats presented with neurological disease between 2012 and 2014. The inclusion criteria for the samples were an increase in CSF protein and cell number (pleocytosis), suggestive of an infectious inflammatory status of the central nervous system (CNS). Nine samples fulfilled the inclusion criteria (inflammatory samples), while five samples, used as control, did not (non-inflammatory samples). All the samples were screened molecularly for different pathogens associated with CNS disease in cats, including prototheca. Out of 14 CSF samples, only one inflammatory sample tested positive for prototheca. Upon sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the amplicon, the strain was characterized as P. bovis. This report is the first documented evidence of prototheca in the cerebrospinal fluid of a cat with neurological signs. Prototheca should be considered in the diagnostics procedures on the CNS of cats presented with infectious diseases.

Histological evaluation of the distribution of systemic AA-amyloidosis in nine domestic shorthair cats.

Amyloidosis is a group of protein-misfolding disorders characterized by the accumulation of amyloid in organs, both in humans and animals. AA-amyloidosis is considered a reactive type of amyloidosis and in humans is characterized by the deposition of AA-amyloid fibrils in one or more organs. In domestic shorthair cats, AA-amyloidosis was recently reported to be frequent in shelters. To better characterize this pathology, we report the distribution of amyloid deposits and associated histological lesions in the organs of shelter cats with systemic AA-amyloidosis. AA-amyloid deposits were identified with Congo Red staining and immunofluorescence. AA-amyloid deposits were then described and scored, and associated histological lesions were reported. Based on Congo Red staining and immunofluorescence nine shelter cats presented systemic AA-amyloidosis. The kidney (9/9), the spleen (8/8), the adrenal glands (8/8), the small intestine (7/7) and the liver (8/9) were the organs most involved by amyloid deposits, with multifocal to diffuse and from moderate to severe deposits, both in the organ parenchyma and/or in the vascular compartment. The lung (2/9) and the skin (1/8) were the least frequently involved organs and deposits were mainly focal to multifocal, mild, vascular and perivascular. Interestingly, among the organs with fibril deposition, the stomach (7/9), the gallbladder (6/6), the urinary bladder (3/9), and the heart (6/7) were reported for the first time in cats. All eye, brain and skeletal muscle samples had no amyloid deposits. An inflammatory condition was identified in 8/9 cats, with chronic enteritis and chronic nephritis being the most common. Except for secondary cell compression, other lesions were not associated to amyloid deposits. To conclude, this study gives new insights into the distribution of AA-amyloid deposits in cats. A concurrent chronic inflammation was present in almost all cases, possibly suggesting a relationship with AA-amyloidosis.

Pilot testing the EARS-Vet surveillance network for antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens from animals in the EU/EEA.

Introduction: As part of the EU Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare-Associated Infections, an initiative has been launched to build the European AMR Surveillance network in veterinary medicine (EARS-Vet). So far, activities included mapping national systems for AMR surveillance in animal bacterial pathogens, and defining the EARS-Vet objectives, scope, and standards. Drawing on these milestones, this study aimed to pilot test EARS-Vet surveillance, namely to (i) assess available data, (ii) perform cross-country analyses, and (iii) identify potential challenges and develop recommendations to improve future data collection and analysis. Methods: Eleven partners from nine EU/EEA countries participated and shared available data for the period 2016-2020, representing a total of 140,110 bacterial isolates and 1,302,389 entries (isolate-antibiotic agent combinations). Results: Collected data were highly diverse and fragmented. Using a standardized approach and interpretation with epidemiological cut-offs, we were able to jointly analyze AMR trends of 53 combinations of animal host-bacteria-antibiotic categories of interest to EARS-Vet. This work demonstrated substantial variations of resistance levels, both among and within countries (e.g., between animal host species). Discussion: Key issues at this stage include the lack of harmonization of antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods used in European surveillance systems and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the absence of interpretation criteria for many bacteria-antibiotic combinations of interest, and the lack of data from a lot of EU/EEA countries where little or even surveillance currently exists. Still, this pilot study provides a proof-of-concept of what EARS-Vet can achieve. Results form an important basis to shape future systematic data collection and analysis.

Right heart echocardiographic variables and prediction of clinical severity in dogs with pulmonary stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary stenosis (PS) usually is evaluated using echocardiography. A multiparametric approach, in addition to the maximum pressure gradient (PG), might be indicated to better characterize PS severity and address its management. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Our hypothesis was that right heart size and function are associated with echocardiographic and clinical severity of pulmonary stenosis in dogs. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs with PS. METHODS: Prospective, multicenter, observational study. Enrolled dogs underwent complete echocardiographic examination. Associations among right heart echocardiographic variables, PS transvalvular PG >80 mm Hg and presence of clinical signs (exercise intolerance, syncope, right-sided congestive failure, or some combination of these) were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-eight dogs with PS. Twenty-eight dogs were symptomatic. Increased right ventricular end-diastolic free wall thickness (odds ratio [OR] > 100; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 50- > 100; P = .01) and decreased aorta-to-pulmonary artery velocity time integral ratio (OR, < 0.001; 95%CI, 0.0-0.001; P = .005) were independently associated with PS PG >80 mm Hg. Decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (OR, 0.35; 95%CI, 0.15-0.77; P = .01) and increased right ventricular end-diastolic area (OR, 1.4; 95%CI, 1.08-2.02; P = .01) were independently associated with clinical severity. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Structural and functional right heart echocardiographic variables are associated with echocardiographic and clinical severity in dogs with PS. A multiparametric approach is advised to better assess PS severity.

AA-amyloidosis in cats (Felis catus) housed in shelters.

Systemic AA-amyloidosis is a protein-misfolding disease characterized by fibril deposition of serum amyloid-A protein (SAA) in several organs in humans and many animal species. Fibril deposits originate from abnormally high serum levels of SAA during chronic inflammation. A high prevalence of AA-amyloidosis has been reported in captive cheetahs and a horizontal transmission has been proposed. In domestic cats, AA-amyloidosis has been mainly described in predisposed breeds but only rarely reported in domestic short-hair cats. Aims of the study were to determine AA-amyloidosis prevalence in dead shelter cats. Liver, kidney, spleen and bile were collected at death in cats from 3 shelters. AA-amyloidosis was scored. Shedding of amyloid fibrils was investigated with western blot in bile and scored. Descriptive statistics were calculated. In the three shelters investigated, prevalence of AA-amyloidosis was 57.1% (16/28 cats), 73.0% (19/26) and 52.0% (13/25), respectively. In 72.9% of cats (35 in total) three organs were affected concurrently. Histopathology and immunofluorescence of post-mortem extracted deposits identified SAA as the major protein source. The duration of stay in the shelters was positively associated with a histological score of AA-amyloidosis (B = 0.026, CI95% = 0.007-0.046; p = 0.010). AA-amyloidosis was very frequent in shelter cats. Presence of SAA fragments in bile secretions raises the possibility of fecal-oral transmission of the disease. In conclusion, AA-amyloidosis was very frequent in shelter cats and those staying longer had more deposits. The cat may represent a natural model of AA-amyloidosis.

Thyroidectomy in dogs with thyroid tumors: Survival analysis in 144 cases (1994-2018).

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed predictors of outcome in dogs with thyroid tumors undergoing thyroidectomy. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the survival and identify prognostic factors in dogs with thyroid tumors treated by thyroidectomy. ANIMALS: A total of 144 client-owned dogs with thyroid neoplasia that underwent thyroidectomy. METHODS: Retrospective study. Data for analysis included hospital attended and year of surgery, signalment, thyroxine concentration, thyroid tumor features (lobe involvement, size, invasiveness, histopathological type), thrombosis, metastasis, additional surgery and therapy, administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. The association of predictors with survival (time from surgery to death) were assessed by calculating cause-specific hazard ratios (HRcs ) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Causes of death were classified as thyroid-related or because of other cause. RESULTS: Overall median survival time was 802 days (CI95% = 723-1015 days); 89 dogs (77.4%) survived >500 days. Metastases were identified at admission in 12 (8.3%) dogs and were associated with higher thyroid cancer-related fatality (HR = 5.83, CI95% = 1.56-21.78; P = .009). Thrombosis occurred in 40 dogs and was associated with increased risk of death because of other cause (HR = 2.73, CI95% = 1.18-6.35; P = .019). Nonfollicular carcinoma (HR = 4.17, CI95% = 1.27-13.69; P = .018) and administration of chemotherapy (HR = 3.45, CI95% = 1.35-8.82; P = .01) were associated with higher risk of thyroid cancer-related death. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with thyroid tumors undergoing thyroidectomy have a long life expectancy. Despite the rare presence of nonfollicular carcinoma and metastases, thyroidectomy should still be considered in some of these dogs.

Radiographic, MRI, and CT findings in a young dog with Becker-like muscular dystrophy.

An 8-month-old, male, crossbreed dog was presented for macroglossia, reduced mandibular extension, ptyalism, dysphagia, and regurgitation. Serum creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase activity were markedly increased. Thoracic radiographs showed an axial gastro-esophageal hiatal hernia, diaphragmatic thickening, and asymmetry. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed a severely enlarged tongue, symmetric increase in size of the geniohyoid and mylohyoid muscles, and diffuse masticatory hypomyotrophy. Whole-body CT ruled out other musculoskeletal abnormalities and further characterized the radiographic and MRI findings. Muscular histopathology was consistent with Becker muscular dystrophy.

Cryo-EM structure of ex vivo fibrils associated with extreme AA amyloidosis prevalence in a cat shelter.

AA amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterized by deposition of misfolded serum amyloid A protein (SAA) into cross-ß amyloid in multiple organs in humans and animals. AA amyloidosis occurs at high SAA serum levels during chronic inflammation. Prion-like transmission was reported as possible cause of extreme AA amyloidosis prevalence in captive animals, e.g. 70% in cheetah and 57-73% in domestic short hair (DSH) cats kept in zoos and shelters, respectively. Herein, we present the 3.3 Å cryo-EM structure of AA amyloid extracted post-mortem from the kidney of a DSH cat with renal failure, deceased in a shelter with extreme disease prevalence. The structure reveals a cross-ß architecture assembled from two 76-residue long proto-filaments. Despite >70% sequence homology to mouse and human SAA, the cat SAA variant adopts a distinct amyloid fold. Inclusion of an eight-residue insert unique to feline SAA contributes to increased amyloid stability. The presented feline AA amyloid structure is fully compatible with the 99% identical amino acid sequence of amyloid fragments of captive cheetah.

First autochthonous clinical case of Hepatozoon silvestris in a domestic cat in Italy with unusual presentation.

Hepatozoon spp. is the causative agent of a vector-borne parasitic disease in many animal species. In felids, Hepatozoon felis, Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon silvestris have been molecularly isolated. Hepatozoonosis usually causes asymptomatic infections in domestic cats, but clinical cases have recently been reported in Europe. We describe the first Italian case of hepatozoonosis in a cat with an unusual presentation. An 11-year-old neutered European shorthair cat was urgently hospitalized for intestinal intussusception. Hematology, biochemistry, FIV-FeLV tests, blood smears and molecular investigation targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Hepatozoon spp. were performed on blood samples; in addition, histological and molecular investigations were performed to analyze surgical samples to identify Hepatozoon infection. Hepatozoon gamonts were detected in granulocytes in the blood smear, and Hepatozoon spp. DNA was confirmed by PCR on blood. The intussusception was caused by a sessile endoluminal nodule that was surgically removed. Histologically, many elements referring to parasitic tissue forms were identified in the intestinal cells, and then the specimens were molecularly confirmed to harbor H. silvestris. This is the first description of symptomatic hepatozoonosis in a domestic cat in Italy. Hepatozoon silvestris has been described in wild felids, which are usually resilient to the infection, whereas the domestic cat seems to be more susceptible. Indeed, H. silvestris in cats usually presents tropism for skeletal muscle and myocardium with subsequent clinical manifestations. This is the first description of a domestic cat with H. silvestris localized in the intestinal epithelium and associated with intussusception.

Influence of high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets on serum lipid and fructosamine concentrations in healthy cats.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether high-protein and high-carbohydrate diets exert differential effects on serum cholesterol, triglyceride and fructosamine concentrations in healthy cats. METHODS: A randomised, crossover diet trial was performed in 35 healthy shelter cats. Following baseline health assessments, cats were randomised into groups receiving either a high-protein or high-carbohydrate diet for 4 weeks. The cats were then fed a washout diet for 4 weeks before being transitioned to whichever of the two studied diets they had not yet received. Fasting serum cholesterol, triglyceride and fructosamine concentrations were determined at the end of each 4-week diet period. RESULTS: Cats on the high-carbohydrate diet had significantly lower serum cholesterol (P <0.001) concentrations compared with baseline measurements. Cats on the high-protein diet had significantly higher serum cholesterol (P <0.001) and triglyceride (P <0.001) concentrations, yet lower fructosamine (P <0.001) concentrations compared with baseline measurements. In contrast, overweight cats (body condition score [BCS] >5) had lower cholesterol (P = 0.007) and triglyceride (P = 0.032) concentrations on the high-protein diet than cats within other BCS groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Diets higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates appear beneficial for short-term glucose control in healthy cats. A high-protein diet was associated with significantly elevated cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in healthy cats, even though the increase was significantly less pronounced in cats with a BCS >5. This finding suggests that overweight cats process high-protein diets, cholesterol and triglycerides differently than leaner cats.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Dogs and Cats from Southern Germany and Northern Italy during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people globally since its first detection in late 2019. Besides humans, cats and, to some extent, dogs were shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the need for surveillance in a One Health context. Seven veterinary clinics from regions with high incidences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recruited during the early pandemic (March to July 2020) for the screening of patients. A total of 2257 oropharyngeal and nasal swab specimen from 877 dogs and 260 cats (including 18 animals from COVID-19-affected households and 92 animals with signs of respiratory disease) were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting the viral envelope (E) and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes. One oropharyngeal swab from an Italian cat, living in a COVID-19-affected household in Piedmont, tested positive in RT-qPCR (1/260; 0.38%, 95% CI: 0.01-2.1%), and SARS-CoV-2 infection of the animal was serologically confirmed six months later. One oropharyngeal swab from a dog was potentially positive (1/877; 0.1%, 95% CI: 0.002-0.63%), but the result was not confirmed in a reference laboratory. Analyses of convenience sera from 118 animals identified one dog (1/94; 1.1%; 95% CI: 0.02-5.7%) from Lombardy, but no cats (0/24), as positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies and neutralizing activity. These findings support the hypothesis that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pet cat and dog populations, and hence, the risk of zoonotic transmission to veterinary staff, was low during the first wave of the pandemic, even in hotspot areas.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma.

Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was first identified in early 2020, rare cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pet cats have been reported worldwide. Some reports of cats with SARS-CoV-2 showed self-limiting respiratory or gastrointestinal disease after suspected human-to-feline transmission via close contact with humans with SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we investigated a cat with SARS-CoV-2 that was presented to a private animal clinic in Northern Italy in May 2020 in a weak clinical condition due to an underlying intestinal B-cell lymphoma. The cat developed signs of respiratory tract disease, including a sneeze, a cough and ocular discharge, three days after an oropharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA using two real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for the envelope (E) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detectable prior to the onset of clinical signs. Five and six months after positive molecular results, the serological testing substantiated the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the cat with the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies and neutralizing activity in a surrogate virus neutralization assay (sVNT). To the best of our knowledge, this extends the known duration of seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat. Our study provides further evidence that cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 under natural conditions and strengthens the assumption that comorbidities may play a role in the development of clinical disease.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations in healthy cats before and after weight gain and weight loss.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 is used to diagnose acromegaly in cats. HYPOTHESIS: Changes of body weight do not affect serum concentrations of IGF-1 in cats. ANIMALS: Ten healthy purpose-bred cats. METHODS: Prospective study. In lean cats, food availability was stepwise increased during the first week and given ad libitum for a total of 40 weeks to increase their body weight. From week 41 to week 60, food access was limited to reach a weight loss of 1% to 2% each week. Measurement of IGF-1 was performed at week 0, 16, 40, and 60. Insulin-like growth factor-1 was measured by radioimmunoassay. Body weight and IGF-1 were compared among the 4 time points. RESULTS: Body weight increased by 44% from week 0 (4.5 ± 0.4 kg) to week 40 (6.5 ± 1.2 kg) (P < .001) and decreased by 25% from week 40 to week 60 (4.9 ± 0.7 kg) (P < .001). Serum IGF-1 concentrations did not differ during the study period (week 0, 16, 40, 60: 500 ± 188, 479 ± 247, 470 ± 184, 435 ± 154 ng/mL, respectively; P = .38). Correlations with body weight were not observed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Insulin-like growth factor-1 might not be influenced by changes of body weight in healthy cats, possibly suggesting that the latter is unimportant when interpreting IGF-1 results in this species.

Strain elastography for the assessment of skin nodules in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Strain elastography (SE) is a modern imaging technology that provides an additional way of evaluating the changes in soft tissue elasticity caused by pathophysiological processes. Despite its widespread use in human medicine, only a few studies on the application of SE in veterinary medicine are available. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential usefulness of SE as an integrative imaging model in the standard ultrasound technique to better discriminate between inflammatory and neoplastic skin nodules in dogs. ANIMALS: Fifty-one client-owned dogs with clinical evidence of single or multiple skin nodules detected during routine dermatological examination. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Margins, echogenicity, echo-structure, calcification and vascularisation of 65 skin nodules were assessed with ultrasound, and SE was used to score qualitative (E-score, E-index, E2) and semiquantitative (SR) parameters. A comparison of diagnostic yields with cytological and histological findings as the gold standard was performed. RESULTS: Mast cell and benign follicular tumours showed the highest E-scores and SRs among neoplastic nodules; statistically significant differences were not detected. Calcific and nonvascularised nodules showed significantly higher E-index values than the others. Overall, a negative correlation was observed between the longitudinal diameter of skin nodules and the qualitative elastic parameters. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: In this study, SE proved to be useful to identify only a subset of nodules such as mast cells and hair follicular tumours. Although evidence supporting the use of SE in evaluating skin nodules was demonstrated to below, indicators to guide further research were developed.

A longitudinal observational study in two cats naturally-infected with hepadnavirus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of liver disease in humans including chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), a novel HBV-like hepadnavirus, was identified in domestic cats in 2018. From 6.5 %-10.8 % of pet cats are viremic for DCH and altered serological markers suggestive of liver damage have been identified in 50 % of DCH-infected cats. DCH DNA has been detected in association with characteristic lesions of chronic hepatitis and with hepatocellular carcinoma in cats, suggesting a possible association. In this study longitudinal molecular screening of cats infected with DCH was performed to determine if DCH can cause chronic infections in cats. Upon re-testing of sera from five DCH-positive animals, 2-10 months after the initial diagnosis, three cats tested negative for DCH on two consecutive occasions using quantitative PCR. Two other cats remained DCH-positive, including an 8-month-old female cat re-tested four months after the initial positive result, and a 9-year-old male cat, which tested positive for DCH on six occasions over an 11-month period. The latter had a history of chronic hepatopathy with jaundice, lethargy and elevated serum alanine transaminase levels (ALT). During the period of observation, DCH titers ranged between 1.64 × 105 and 2.09 × 106 DNA copies/mL and ALT was persistently elevated, suggesting chronic infection. DCH DNA was not detected in oral, conjunctival, preputial and rectal swabs from the two animals collected at several time points. Long-term (chronic) infection would be consistent with the relatively high number of viremic cats identified in epidemiological investigations, with the possible association of DCH with chronic hepatic pathologies and with what described with HBV in human patients.