Biomarkers in canine inflammatory bowel disease diagnostics.

Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a heterogeneous group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders. The etiology, similar to human IBD, remains unknown. Canine IBD is diagnosed by exclusion, which is a long, time and money-consuming process due to the need of elimination of other diseases presenting with similar symptoms. Therefore, a search for a specific and sensitive marker is needed to overcome these difficulties. The article is divided into 3 sections presenting up-to-date information about laboratory markers, immunohistochemical markers and changes in the neurochemical coding of the enteric nervous system, concentrating on their usefulness and future applications. Data concerning laboratory and immunohistochemical markers is based mainly on canine IBD, while the neuroimmunohistochemistry section presents knowledge from human IBD due to the lack of such studies in veterinary medicine.

Cytokines in canine inflammatory bowel disease.

Canine inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic enteropathies characterized by persistent or recurring gastric symptoms with an unknown etiology which are related to histopathological changes in the mucosa of the small and large bowel in the form of cellular infiltration in the mucosal lamina propria. Recent years have witnessed a growing number of investigations into the role of the immune system and, in particular, cytokines in the development of IBD. In this article, the expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-1, IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) was compared in canine patients with IBD based on clinical presentation, breed, lamina propria cell infiltrate and histopathological grade. Only selected studies confirmed higher mRNA expression levels of cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-12p40, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and TGF-beta in dogs with IBD in comparison with healthy subjects. GSD were strongly represented in most study populations. Dogs with LPE were characterized by elevated levels of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta. The present studies of canine patients with LPC revealed the mRNA expression of cytokines IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta. In the reviewed studies, the progression of IBD was not accompanied by changes in the mRNA express-

A correlation between the canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index score and the histopathological evaluation of the small intestinal mucosa in canine inflammatory bowel disease.

The aim of this study was to assess the degree of correlation between the intensity of clinical symptoms and the macroscopic and histopathological evaluation of the small intestinal mucous membrane in dogs. The results point to a statistically significant correlation between the values of the CIBDAI index and the histopathological assessment of the duodenum mucous membrane in patients with minor and moderate intensity of the disease. The lowest correlation coefficient was obtained for the indicator comparing macroscopic and histopathological evaluations. A positive correlation between the CIBDAI score and the histopathological index offers a base for applying it in the monitoring and treatment of mild, moderate and severe cases of canine inflammatory bowel disease.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in canine liver examination.

Ultrasonography is a noninvasive diagnostic tool used to image size, shape, parenchyma and vascularization of various body organs. Unfortunately, the ultrasonographic image is characterized by a low contrast due to similar acoustic properties of the soft tissue. The Doppler mode provides information about blood flow, but is incapable of imaging small vessels and capillaries because of their low blood flow velocity (1 mm/s). However, a possibility to increase the effectiveness of ultrasonographic diagnostics exists, thanks to intravenous ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) consisted of gas microbubbles. The purpose of this review paper is to characterize specific imaging techniques necessary to conduct a contrast-enhanced liver examination and indications for CEUS as an alternative diagnostic method.

Survival analysis of Escherichia coli encapsulated in a hollow fiber membrane in vitro and in vivo: preliminary report.

The purpose of the observations was the viability and quality evaluation of E. coli bacteria encapsulated in hollow fiber membranes (HF) in short in vivo and in vitro experiments. A polypropylene, surface-modified hollow fiber was applied for immunoisolation of E. coli bacteria transfected with a green fluorescent protein (E. coli GFPI). The presence of GFP fluorescence of organisms was assessed with the use of flow cytometry. The E. coli GFPIs were then observed for the period of 5 days in in vitro experiments in the culture medium. A single IPTG (isopropyl beta-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside) induction of GFP gene appeared to be adequate for an expression of GFP protein for 5 days. The GFP expression values observed for E. coli GFPs encapsulated in HF during culture in different culture media were comparable. The survival of E. coli GFPIs encapsulated in HF after 1, 2, 4, or 5 days of subcutaneous implantation into mice was evaluated. The explanted E. coli GFPIs exhibited mean expression 603 +/- 17 (n = 32) units of fluorescence during the implantation period. The values obtained were comparable for selected days of observation. It was observed that the membranes applied ensured the bacteria growth within the HF's space only.