The serological detection of Bovine papillomavirus's E5 oncoprotein antibodies in horses.

Equine sarcoids (ES) are known globally as the most frequent skin tumour affecting horses. These tumours affect the horse's monetary value, they can affect the horse's welfare and can be difficult and expensive to treat. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is considered to be the aetiological agent of this tumour, as BPV 1, 2 and 13 have been detected in ES. This is the only known natural cross species infection by a papillomavirus. The BPV genome can be divided into two coding regions: The early region E which encodes the transforming proteins E5, E6 and E7 as well as the replication and transcription regulatory proteins E1 and E2 and the late region encoding the structural proteins of the virus L1 and L2. The E5 oncoprotein is believed to downregulate MHC 1 and as a result, escapes an immune reaction with affecting the cells cycle and eventually allows the viral affected cells to proliferate into ES. We have constructed an ELISA test by utilising the C terminal peptide of the E5 oncoprotein and explored the possibility of IgG antibodies existence in horses to the E5 oncoprotein. For this study we have examined 136 horses, some showing ES lesions (80 horses) and some without ES lesions (56 horses). By using our ELISA test, we have shown that antibodies to the E5 oncoprotein are in fact present and that from a certain level seem to be found only in ES positive horses. Therefore, proving that an immune response to this protein can be expected.

Individual stability in vocalization rates of preweaning piglets.

Piglet vocalization rates are used as welfare indicators. The emission rates of the two gross categories of piglet calls, namely low frequency calls ("grunts") and high frequency calls ("screams"), may contain different information about the piglet's internal state due to differing communicative functions of the two call types. More knowledge is needed about the sources of variation in calling rates within and between piglets. We examined to what extent the emission rates of the two call types are codetermined by individual and litter identity, i.e., whether the rates are repeatable within individuals and similar between littermates. We recorded frequency of grunts and screams in one mildly negative (short-term Isolation) and one moderately negative (manual Restraint) situation during the first week (week 1) and the 4th week (week 4) of life and asked the following questions: 1) Are within-individual vocalization rates stable across the suckling period? 2) Are within-individual vocalization rates stable across the two situations? 3) Is there within-litter similarity in vocalization rates? 4) Does this within-litter similarity increase during the suckling period? Within-individual vocalization rates were stable between week 1 and week 4 (grunts in Restraint P < 0.05; grunts in Isolation P < 0.001; screams in Restraint P < 0.001; screams in Isolation P < 0.001). Across the two situations at the same age, the vocalization rates were not stable for grunts but were stable for screams at week 1 and week 4 (P < 0.05). Vocalization rates were more similar between littermates than between piglets belonging to different litters (grunts in Restraint P < 0.001; grunts in Isolation P < 0.01; screams in Restraint P < 0.001; screams in Isolation P < 0.001). This litter effect did not grow stronger from week 1 to week 4 as the within-litter coefficient of variance did not decrease between the two ages. Sex of the piglet had no influence on vocalization rates while greater body weight was associated with lower screaming rates in the Restraint situation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that both individuality of the piglet and litter identity affect the vocalization rates of piglets in negatively valenced situations. For screams, the repeatability of individual vocalization rates holds even across situations, while for grunts, the rates are repeatable during ontogeny within the situations, but not across situations.

[Antibiotic resistance in nontyphoidal salmonellae serovars in the Czech Republic]. / Antibiotická rezistence u netyfových sérovaru Salmonella spp. v Ceské republice.

STUDY AIM: To determine antibiotic resistance and incidence of multidrug resistance among Nontyphoidal salmonellae serovars isolated from humans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive Salmonella isolates from patients, recovered in 48 microbiology laboratories in May 2012, were analyzed in the respective reference laboratories at the National Institute of Public Health. Strains were re-identified and differentiated into serovars. Their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to 11 antibiotics were determined by the microdilution method. RESULTS: Of 25 serovars identified among 637 strains of Salmonella enterica, the most frequent were Enteritidis (87.0 %), Typhimurium (4.9 %), and monophasic Typhimurium 4,[5],12:i:- (2.0 %) and Mbandaka (0.6 %); other serovars were rare. Altogether 558 strains (87.6 %) were susceptible to all antibiotics tested and the remaining 79 strains were resistant to one or more antibiotics. The prevalence rates of resistance to individual antibiotics among 637 study strains were as follows: ampicillin 8.5%, tetracycline 5.7%, sulfamethoxazole 5.2%, cipro-floxacin 3.8%, and chloramphenicol 2.5%. Resistance to gentamicin, trimethoprim, and third and fourth generation cephalosporins was rare ( 0.5%) and none of the study strains showed resistance to meropenem. Three producers of extended spectrum beta-lactamase were multidrug resistant and two of them recovered from twins exhibited a different pattern of resistance. Resistant strains were most often assigned to the following serovars: Enteritidis (49.4%), Typhimurium (26.6%), and monophasic Typhimurium (15.2%). While only 7% (39 of 554 strains) of Enteritidis strains were resistant, the serovars Typhimurium and its monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i:- showed high rates of resistance, i.e. 66.7 and 92.3%, respectively. Furthermore, resistance was revealed in all strains of the serovars Virchow (n = 3), Kentucky (n = 1), and Newport (n = 1), in two of three strains of the serovar Infantis, and in one of two strains of the serovar Stanley. All five blood isolates were assigned to the serovar Enteritidis and one of them showed resistance to ciprofloxacin. Of 79 resistant strains, 26.6% showed resistance to ampicillin only and 24.1% to ciprofloxacin only, with multidrug resistance, i.e. resistance to three or more antibiotics, confirmed in 43.0% of strains. CONCLUSION: Despite a relatively low prevalence of resistance to the antibiotics tested among 637 study strains, the following alarming findings were made: Detection of Salmonella enterica strains resistant to ciprofloxacin as the drug of choice or to higher generation cephalosporins and multidrug resistance revealed in two thirds of the strains of the serovar Typhimurium and in all but one strains of its monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i:-.

[A consecutive study of patients with irritable bowel disease in two tertiary referral centers]. / Eine vergleichende Untersuchung zum Reizdarmsyndrom bei konsekutiven Patienten zweier internistischer Ambulanzen.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the nature of illness behavior and the meaning of emotional deficiencies during childhood in patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS). DATA: A consecutive study in two tertiary referral centers was conducted with 48 patients suffering from irritable bowel diseases (IBS) and 91 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: The diagnosis of IBS was made by following the Manning criteria, a positive diagnosis of IBD was established through physical, endoscopic and radiologic examinations and was confirmed histologically. Psychological data were obtained by structured psychiatric interviews and psychological self-report measures (GBB). RESULTS: We found that the rate of physician visits given in the course of the disease, is increased for those having irritable bowel disease (IBS). These patients are dissatisfied with the physicians and prone to psychophysiological complaint. In the daily routine and in occupation they are more impaired than those with inflammatory disease. This finding emphasizes in particular that patients with irritable bowel diseases (IBS) have experienced emotional deficiencies in childhood as an after effect of loss, divorce of the parents etc. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for doctor-patient relationship and the necessity for epidemiological studies in Germany are discussed.

[Ultrasound in diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors]. / Sonographie bei der Diagnostik benigner und maligner Lebertumoren.

Sonography has a high sensitivity in diagnosing circumscript lesions in the liver when modern machines are used by a skilled examiner. The exact analysis of the sonographic imaging characteristics allows definite diagnosis in the majority of cases. The high prevalence of benign liver tumors has to be considered. It is substantiated by an evaluation of 731 own patients. The characteristics of the most important circumscribed liver lesions are presented and suggestions for the diagnostic work-up are provided.

[What is the onset of primary biliary liver cirrhosis?]. / Wie beginnt die primäre biliäre Leberzirrhose?

The medical records of 49 consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver were screened for informations about medical examinations during the years before the diagnosis was established. In 15 cases previous medical reports could be found. Evidence of liver disease (slight elevation of transaminases and gamma-GT) was documented up to 18 years before the diagnosis was proven. In 6 patients liver biopsies had been performed: normal 1 x, fatty liver 1 x, fibrosis 1 x, non-specific hepatitis 1 x, chron. pers. Hep. 2 x. The characteristic increase of alkaline phosphatase often occurred within a few months. Antimitochondrial antibodies became positive independent of the beginning of cholestasis. It can be concluded that early stage primary biliary cirrhosis must be considered in patients with long standing slight elevation of liver enzymes even without cholestasis when other causes can be excluded.

Three other types of duodenal polyps: mucosal cysts, focal foveolar hyperplasia, and hyperplastic polyp originating from islands of gastric mucosa.

Seven cases are reported that initially presented on endoscopic examination as duodenal polyps originating from islands of gastric mucosa within the duodenal bulb. Microscopic examination revealed mucosal cysts (MC), focal foveolar hyperplasia (FFH), and hyperplastic polyp (HPP). These lesions must be added to the list of neoplastic and tumorlike lesions of the duodenum that may endoscopically present as polyps.

[Sonographic determination of spleen size: normal dimensions in adults with a healthy spleen]. / Sonographische Milzgrössenbestimmung: Normalmasse beim milzgesunden Erwachsenen.

Sonography can rapidly and reliably help to determine the size by the spleen. To standardise the sonographic dimensions of the healthy spleen, we effected sonographic examination of 793 female and male patients aged between 17 and 82 years with a healthy spleen. In 95% of the patients the length of the spleen was less than 11 cm, the breadth below 7 cm and the thickness less than 5 cm. The weight of the spleen as determined via the rotation ellipsoid formula was below 190 g in 95% of the patients. Whether or not a spleen larger than standard signals an acute disease can be clinically assessed only on the basis of a synopsis of all findings.

[Qualification and quality control in sonography]. / Qualifikations- und Qualitätskontrolle in der Sonographie.

On the basis of guidelines issued by the Kassenärztliche Vereingung Hessen, some criteria for the application of sonographic examinations are presented. Minimal requirements for sonographic equipment in certain specialties are mentioned, and it is pointed out how not only case history and clinical examination but also one's own sonographic evidence are important for a accurate sonographic diagnosis.

A pseudolesion of the liver caused by rib cartilage in B-mode ultrasonography.

An artifactual protuberance at the surface of the liver in connection with an incomplete acoustic shadow is described. The reproduction of these phenomena in vitro was possible, providing an explanation of their origin. Rib cartilage, with its convex shape, and with the higher sound wave velocity and the higher attenuation compared with the surrounding tissue, causes these artifacts. The identification of a pseudolesion composed of these artifacts is simple if one considers its origin.

[Clinical importance of routine sonographic studies in gynecology]. / Klinische Bedeutung routinemässiger sonographischer Untersuchungen in der Frauenheilkunde.

In a prospective study, the authors screened a total of 2.070 patients. Of these, 213 showed unexpected sonographic findings. 96 of these patients were women. Gynaecological diseases or changes in the minor pelvis were least represented. This proportion is so small that routine sonography does not appear worth while as far as gynaecology is concerned. For, if we take the incidence of adnexal tumours into account, relevant chance findings can be expected in only 2.8 cases out of one million, which makes the screening process uneconomical.

Liver biopsy guided by laparoscopic sonography. A case report demonstrating a new technique.

Laparoscopy sonography combined with a new puncture technique permits the performance of sonographically guided Menghini needle biopsy of focal lesions in the liver. The indications, procedure, and advantages of this biopsy method are demonstrated on the basis of a case report.

[Sonographic determination of spleen size and spleen weight]. / Sonographische Milzgrössenbestimmung und Milzgewichtsschätzung.

This report deals with the results of post-mortem sonographic examination of the spleen of 36 patients. The goal of the study was to gain direct information on the precision of the sonographic organometric method we use. It becomes evident that - depending on the position of the spleen in the dome of the diaphragm - the real length of the organ is underestimated when it is measured as the direct line between the two poles. For this reason the length should be taken as the (curved) median line obtained when performing a longitudinal section of the spleen at sonography. Under these conditions there is a good correlation of the sonographic and anatomic data obtained by autopsy. The mean deviation is maximally 7 mm. For the approximate calculation of the organ weight from the sonographically obtained data the simple ellipsoid formula is sufficient. In order to obtain a normogram for sonographic weight estimation a larger statistical sample is necessary.

[Double images in B-mode sonography due to acoustic dispersion lenses]. / Doppelbilder bei der B-Bild-Sonographie durch akustische Zerstreuungslinsen.

Clinical observations revealed that duplication artifacts in B-mode-ultrasound depend on rib cartilage in the sound field. The in-vivo conditions were imitated by watertank experiments with an acrylic glass magnifier which has the properties of an acoustic dispersing lens. With this the duplication artifacts proved to be caused by acoustic dispersing lenses, in-vivo due to rib cartilage, for example.