HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2) oncoprotein in hyperplastic endometrial polyps detected in two cats.

The presence of HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2) oncoprotein, oestrogen-alpha receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) in hyperplastic endometrial polyps (EPs) of two cats with cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra (CEH-P) complex was investigated. Immunohistochemistry assay for ER, PR and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in the glandular and stromal tissue of the EPs was performed. ER and c-erbB-2 immunoreactivity was observed in the glandular epithelium of the EPs whereas PR immunoreactivity was detected only in the stromal fibroblasts. The c-erbB-2 oncoprotein may play a role with the ER in the pathogenesis of the hyperplastic EPs, although the role of this oncoprotein in the pathogenesis of EPs has yet to be determined.

The role of chicken IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the occurrence of amyloid arthropathy.

In this study, the roles of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in amyloid arthropathic chickens with variable amounts (severe, moderate and mild) of amyloid accumulation were investigated. The presence and the levels of cytokines were evaluated in serum and in joint tissues by using ELISA and immunohistochemistry, respectively. One hundred brown layer chicks were allocated into four groups and intra-articular injections of Freund's adjuvant were used to induce amyloid arthropathy in Groups II, III and IV. Vitamin A in group II, and methylprednisolone in Group IV were added to enhance and to reduce the severity of amyloidosis, respectively. At the end of the study, a positive correlation was observed among the incidence and severity of amyloidosis, the serum amyloid A levels and the IL-1beta values both in the serum and tissues. Elevation in the tissue TNF-alpha levels in parallel with the severity of amyloidosis has also been noted. As a conclusion, IL-1beta appears to play an important role in avian AA amyloidosis either alone or in combination with TNF-alpha. Further investigation is needed for understanding the role of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in avian AA amyloidosis.

Targeted surveillance to assess the presence of BSE in the age risk population of cattle slaughtered in Bursa, Turkey: preliminary results of an immunohistochemical detection study for the 2004-2005 period.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a member of the transmissible spongiform encepahlopathies, has been a notifiable disease in Turkey since 1997. In 2002, the BSE status of Turkey was assessed by the EU Scientific Steering Committee as "it is likely but not confirmed". This study presents the results of a targeted surveillance study to assess the presence of BSE in the age risk population of Bursa, Turkey. In the assessment procedure, the immunohistochemical detection of protease-resistant prion protein (PrP-Sc) was aimed at and applied to 420 brain tissues of cattle slaughtered in Bursa at an age of 30-months and older. None of the samples were positive for BSE.

The effects of vitamin A, pentoxyfylline and methylprednisolone on experimentally induced amyloid arthropathy in brown layer chicks.

The effects of vitamin A, pentoxyfylline and methylprednisolone on experimentally induced amyloid arthropathy were investigated. In this study, 175 1-day-old brown layer chicks were used. Throughout the study Group II (vitamin A) received high doses of vitamin A (75,000 IU/kg), whereas Group I (negative control), Group III (positive control), Group IV (pentoxyfylline) and Group V (methylprednisolone) received normal levels of vitamin A in the diet. At the fifth week, the experimental Groups II, III, IV and V were injected with Freund's adjuvant intra-articularly to induce amyloid arthropathy. Group IV received pentoxyfylline and Group V received methylprednisolone (10 mg/kg, intramuscularly) once. Joint and blood samples were examined 13 weeks after the injections. The values in Groups I, II, III, IV and V, respectively, were as follows: amyloid arthropathy formation (%), 0, 100, 87, 76, 66; serum amyloid A (ng/ml), 166+/-17, 607+/-40, 423+/-39, 342+/-27, 293+/-22; serum retinol (microg/dl): 59.75+/-3.8, 42.72+/-3, 59.24+/-3.6, 102+/-9.1, 101.3+/-12.3; heterophil/lymphocyte ratio: 0.504, 0.75, 0.75, 0.087, 0.44. In conclusion, it was observed that vitamin A enhanced the development of amyloid arthropathy and there were positive associations between amyloidosis, increased levels of serum amyloid A and increased numbers of tissue infiltrating macrophages. Methylprednisolone had a more successful inhibitory effect on amyloid arthropathy than pentoxyfylline.