Relationships between haptoglobin and inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 levels in local and peripheral blood and systemic inflammatory response syndrome in bitches with pyometra.

We aimed to assess the usefulness of monitoring inter-alpha trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) and haptoglobin (Hp) in peripheral and local blood in canine pyometra, and evaluation the relationships among acute phase proteins (APPs), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the presence of bacteria. The material was collected from bitches with pyometra and from healthy ones. Blood was taken from the cephalic and uterine veins. APPs levels were quantified by ELISA. In the peripheral circulation, the Hp was higher in animals with open-cervix pyometra (OCP) than in the closed-cervix pyometra (CCP) and the control group. The Hp concentration was not correlated with age, with the presence of SIRS or with the type of bacteria (Gram-negative, Gram-positive or mixed flora). The ITIH4 concentrations in the peripheral blood did not differ significantly in the cases of pyometra. The Hp concentration in the local circulation increased in the OCP but not in the CCP groups, although the histopathological changes in the endometrium were similar. Peripheral Hp concentrations may be a useful tool in differentiating between the types of pyometra.

Bornaviral infections in Atlantic canaries (Serinus canaria) in Poland.

The presence of canary bornavirus (Orthobornavirus serini) genetic material was tested in organ samples from 157 Atlantic canaries (Serinus canaria) and four hybrids of Atlantic canary and European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis). The subjects of the research were samples collected in the years 2006-2022. A positive result was obtained in 16 canaries and one hybrid (10.5%). Eleven positive canaries had neurological signs prior to death. Four of them also had atrophic changes in the forebrain, which have not previously been described in canaries and other species of birds infected with avian bornavirus. In one canary, computed tomography without contrast was performed. This study showed no changes, despite advanced forebrain atrophy found on post-mortem examination of the bird. The organs of the studied birds were also tested with PCR tests for the presence of polyomaviruses and circoviruses. There was no correlation between the bornavirus infection and the presence of the other two viruses in the tested canaries.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS The incidence of bornaviral infections in canaries in Poland is relatively low.Non-contrast CT is not a useful method for brain atrophy diagnostic in canaries.Neurological signs were found in the majority of birds infected with bornaviruses.Visceral ganglioneuritis was found in a minority of birds infected with bornaviruses.

Case of necrotic enteritis associated with campylobacteriosis and coccidiosis in an adult Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus).

BACKGROUND: To date, Campylobacter jejuni has not been found to be pathogenic to peafowl. The available publications show that out of a total of 44 samples tested from peafowl, this bacterium was isolated only in two cases. Eimeria pavonina infestations in the peafowl have been described, but no fatal cases have been reported yet. CASE PRESENTATION: The four-year-old peacock was presented with chronic diarrhea, emaciation and weakness. Post mortem examination revealed enlarged and pale kidneys, small intestinal mucosal necrosis and thickening of intestinal wall, and pericardial effusion. The histopathological examination revealed necrotic enteritis with marked mononuclear cells infiltration associated with the presence of coccidia, additionally there was histological evidence of septicemia in liver and kidneys. Bacteria identification was based on light microscopy of the small intestine sample, culture, and biochemical tests. Further identification was based on PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility profile was created by determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for 6 antimicrobial agents from 5 different classes. PCR assays were performed to detect virulence factors genes responsible for motility, cytolethal distending toxin production, adhesion and internalization. Bacteriology of the small intestine sample showed abundant growth almost exclusively of Campylobacter jejuni, resistant to ciprofloxacin, gentamycin and ampicillin. Bacteria was sensitive to Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid, tetracycline, and erythromycin. All tested virulence factors genes have been detected. The parasitological examination was performed by microscopic examination of fresh faeces and intestinal content, and revealed the moderate number of Eimeria pavonina, Histomonas meleagridis, single Capillaria spp. eggs as well Heterakis spp. like parasites. CONCLUSION: The above case shows that a virulent isolate of Campylobacter jejuni in combination with a parasitic invasion may cause chronic enteritis in peafowl, which most likely led to extreme exhaustion of the host organism and death.

Distribution of Glutathione-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles in Feline Fibrosarcomas and Their Role as a Drug Delivery System for Doxorubicin-Preclinical Studies in a Murine Model.

Feline injection site sarcomas (FISS) are malignant skin tumors with high recurrence rates despite the primary treatment of radical surgical resections. Adjunctive radiotherapy or chemotherapy with doxorubicin is mostly ineffective. Cellular and molecular causes of multidrug resistance, specific physio-chemical properties of solid tumors impairing drug transport, and the tumor microenvironment have been indicated for causing standard chemotherapy failure. Gold nanoparticles are promising imaging tools, nanotherapeutics, and drug delivery systems (DDS) for chemotherapeutics, improving drug transport within solid tumors. This study was conducted to assess the distribution of 4-nm glutathione-stabilized gold nanoparticles in FISS and their influence on kidney and liver parameters in nude mice. The role of gold nanoparticles as a doxorubicin DDS in FISS was examined to determine the potential reasons for failure to translate results from in vitro to in vivo studies. Grade III tumors characterized by a large area of necrosis at their core displayed positive immuneexpression of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) at both the periphery and within the tumor core near the area of necrosis. Gold nanoparticles did not cause necrosis at the injection site and had no negative effect on liver and kidney parameters in nude mice. Gold nanoparticles accumulated in the tumor core and at the periphery and co-internalized with TAM-an important observation and potential therapeutic target warranting further investigation. The large area of necrosis and high immunoexpression of TAM, indicating "pro-tumor macrophages", may be responsible for FISS tumor progression and therapeutic failure. However, further studies are required to test this hypothesis.

MicroRNA expression patterns in canine mammary cancer show significant differences between metastatic and non-metastatic tumours.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs may act as oncogenes or tumour suppressor genes, which make these small molecules potential diagnostic/prognostic factors and targets for anticancer therapies. Several common oncogenic microRNAs have been found for canine mammary cancer and human breast cancer. On account of this, large-scale profiling of microRNA expression in canine mammary cancer seems to be important for both dogs and humans. METHODS: Expression profiles of 317 microRNAs in 146 canine mammary tumours of different histological type, malignancy grade and clinical history (presence/absence of metastases) and in 25 control samples were evaluated. The profiling was performed using microarrays. Significance Analysis of Microarrays test was applied in the analysis of microarray data (both unsupervised and supervised data analyses were performed). Validation of the obtained results was performed using real-time qPCR. Subsequently, predicted targets for the microRNAs were searched for in miRBase. RESULTS: Results of the unsupervised analysis indicate that the primary factor separating the samples is the metastasis status. Predicted targets for microRNAs differentially expressed in the metastatic vs. non-metastatic group are mostly engaged in cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation and DNA-damage repair. On the other hand, the supervised analysis reveals clusters of differentially expressed microRNAs unique for the tumour type, malignancy grade and metastasis factor. CONCLUSIONS: The most significant difference in microRNA expression was observed between the metastatic and non-metastatic group, which suggests a more important role of microRNAs in the metastasis process than in the malignant transformation. Moreover, the differentially expressed microRNAs constitute potential metastasis markers. However, validation of cfa-miR-144, cfa-miR-32 and cfa-miR-374a levels in blood samples did not follow changes observed in the non-metastatic and metastatic tumours.

3D chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane model as an in vivo model to study morphological and histopathological features of feline fibrosarcomas.

BACKGROUND: The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is well described in human medicine as a cost-effective, easy to perform preclinical oncological model for observing pro- and antiangiogenic response, tumor biology and metastasis. The main objective of this article was to present the modification of the CAM assay in order to evaluate tumor growth from two feline fibrosarcoma cell lines (FFS1, FFS3) and describe their morphological and histopathological features. RESULTS: The authors described morphological and histopathological features of two feline fibrosarcoma cell lines (FFS1 and FFS3) grown on the CAM. Tumors from the FFS1 cell line showed high malignancy (grade III), while tumors from the FFS3 cell line were grade II. Proliferation markers (Ki-67 and PCNA) were determined and the positive correlation between PCNA and tumor grade (r = 0.8247; p < 0.001) was demonstrated, as opposed to Ki-67. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained indicate that PCNA may be helpful to evaluate the tumor grade, better than Ki-67, for feline fibrosarcomas. However, further investigations of proliferation marker, in bigger number of feline spontaneous fibrosarcomas and feline fibrosarcomas grown on the CAM from different cell lines, are needed to confirm these observations.

Doxorubicin Conjugated to Glutathione Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles (Au-GSH-Dox) as an Effective Therapeutic Agent for Feline Injection-Site Sarcomas-Chick Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane Study.

Feline injection-site sarcomas are malignant skin tumours with a high local recurrence rate, ranging from 14% to 28%. The treatment of feline injection-site sarcomas includes radical surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. In our previous study it has been demonstrated that doxorubicin conjugated to glutathione-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au-GSH-Dox) has higher cytotoxic effects than free doxorubicin for feline fibrosarcoma cell lines with high glycoprotein P activity (FFS1, FFS3). The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of intratumoural injection of Au-GSH-Dox on the growth of tumours from the FFS1 and FFS3 cell lines on chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. This model has been utilized both in human and veterinary medicine for preclinical oncological studies. The influence of intratumoural injections of Au-GSH-Dox, glutathione-stabilized gold nanoparticles and doxorubicin alone on the Ki-67 proliferation marker was also checked. We demonstrated that the volume ratio of tumours from the FFS1 and FFS3 cell lines was significantly (p < 0.01) decreased after a single intratumoural injection of Au-GSH-Dox, which confirms the positive results of in vitro studies and indicates that Au-GSH-Dox may be a potent new therapeutic agent for feline injection-site sarcomas.

Risk factor analysis and clinicopathological characteristics of female dogs with mammary tumours from a single-center retrospective study in Poland.

This is a comprehensive retrospective study to characterize female dogs with canine mammary tumors (CMTs) using a dataset retrieved from the archives of the Division of Animal Pathology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Warsaw, and to identify prognostic factors. Clinical and histopathological data of 1447 dogs with CMTs were included. Malignant tumours were found in 83.3% (n = 1206), benign tumours in 11.7% (n = 169), and non-neoplastic lesions in 5.0% (n = 72) of dogs. Dogs most often had grade II carcinomas (38.2%, 215/562) of a single histological subtype (88.5%, 1281/1447), mostly simple carcinoma (35.3%, 510/1447). Dogs with a median age of 10 years significantly often had larger (≥ 3 cm) and malignant CMTs, whereas intact females had smaller tumours (median size 2.0 cm). However, the threshold value for the age of the dog in the differentiation of malignant and non-neoplastic/benign masses could not be determined. Most females were hormonally active (76.4%, 372/487). Hormonally active dogs significantly more often had multiple tumours. Multiple tumours were significantly smaller (median 2.5 cm) than single ones. Among pedigree dogs, small-breed dogs were mostly recorded (43%, 428/1006). Twelve breeds had an increased risk of CMTs, regardless of tumour behaviour, compared with the theoretical distribution of pedigree dogs in Poland. Four breeds were often affected only by malignant and other four breeds only by non-neoplastic/benign CMT. Large-breed dogs were significantly younger and affected by larger CMT (median 4 cm) compared with small- and medium-breed dogs. Ninety dogs with a malignant CMT and complete records were included in the full analysis of CMT-specific survival (CMT-SS) with a median follow-up time of 20.0 months. We showed that the timing of ovariohysterectomy in relation to mastectomy was significantly associated with grade, CMT-SS, and CMT-related death. We indicated the low diagnostic accuracy of palpation of regional lymph nodes (RLN) in the prediction of their metastatic involvement. By multivariable analysis, dogs with neoplastic emboli, tumour ulceration, and simple or complex carcinoma had a significantly higher risk of local recurrence. Tumour size > 3 cm was as a strong independent predictor of lung metastases. Compared with dogs with an easily separated localized tumour, dogs with a multiple/diffuse malignant CMT pattern had a fivefold higher risk of death. The risk of death was significantly higher in the presence of neoplastic emboli (~ fivefold) and tumour ulceration (~ fourfold). Furthermore, the presence of neoplastic emboli and large tumour size were independent predictors of CMT-related death.

Case report: A nodular lesion in the ventral region of the neck in the rat as a starting point for considerations on differential diagnosis.

The purpose of this case report is to present a poorly differentiated sarcoma in a pet rat. A veterinarian detected a small-sized nodular lesion in the ventral region of the neck during a follow-up visit related to another ailment. The anatomical structures found in the neck region in the rat and the differential diagnosis when deformities are palpated in this body part are discussed in detail. The patient underwent a total of four surgical procedures, as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The rat survived in good condition for 144 days after finding the tumor.

Retrospective study and immunohistochemical analysis of canine mammary sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: Canine mammary sarcomas (CMSs) are rarely diagnosed in female dogs, which explains the scarcity of immunohistochemical findings concerning those tumors. This paper presents the results of a retrospective study into CMSs and discusses the clinical features of the analyzed tumors, the expression of intermediate filaments CK, Vim, Des and α-SMA, and the expression of p63, Ki67, ERα, PR and p53 protein. RESULTS: Four percent of all canine mammary tumors (CMTs) were classified as CMSs, and they represented 5.1% of malignant CMTs. The mean age at diagnosis was 11.1 ± 2.8 years. Large breed dogs were more frequently affected (38.7%). The majority of observed CMSs were fibrosarcomas (2.1%). All CMSs expressed vimentin, and higher levels of vimentin expression were noted in fibrosarcomas and osteosarcomas. Ki67 expression was significantly correlated with the grade of CMS. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that CMSs form a heterogeneous group, therefore, immunohistochemical examinations could support differential and final diagnosis. Although this study analyzed a limited number of samples, the reported results can expand our knowledge about CMSs. Further work is required in this field.

Five markers useful for the distinction of canine mammary malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous canine mammary tumors constitute a serious clinical problem. There are significant differences in survival between cases with different tumor grades. Unfortunately, the distinction between various grades is not clear. A major problem in evaluating canine mammary cancer is identifying those, that are "truly" malignant. That is why the aim of our study was to find the new markers of canine malignancy, which could help to diagnose the most malignant tumors. RESULTS: Analysis of gene expression profiles of canine mammary carcinoma of various grade of malignancy followed by the boosted tree analysis distinguished a `gene set`. The expression of this gene set (sehrl, zfp37, mipep, relaxin, and magi3) differs significantly in the most malignant tumors at mRNA level as well as at protein level. Despite this `gene set` is very interesting as an additional tool to estimate canine mammary malignancy, it should be validated using higher number of samples. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed gene set can constitute a `malignancy marker` that could help to distinguish the most malignant canine mammary carcinomas. These genes are also interesting as targets for further investigations and therapy. So far, only two of them were linked with the cancer development.

Gene expression profiles in canine mammary carcinomas of various grades of malignancy.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of mammary malignancies in canine patients is even three times over than in human. In various types of cancer different intracellular signalling pathways are perturbed, thus the patients with pathologically the same type of cancer often have dissimilar genetic defects in their tumours and respond in a heterogeneous manner to anticancer treatment. That is why the objective of the hereby study was to assess the gene expression profiles in canine mammary carcinomas (in unsupervised manner) classified by pathologists as grade 1 (well differentiated), grade 2 (moderately differentiated) and grade 3 (poorly differentiated) and compare their molecular and pathological classifications. RESULTS: Our unsupervised analysis classified the examined tissues into three groups. The first one significantly differed from the others and consisted of four carcinomas of grade 3 and one carcinoma of grade 2. The second group consisted of four grade 1 carcinomas. The very heterogeneous (based on their pathological parameters) group was the last one which consisted of two grade 1 carcinomas, two grade 3 carcinomas and five grade 2 carcinomas. Hierarchical dendrogram showed that the most malignant tumour group had significantly distinct gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular classification of canine mammary tumours is not identical with pathological classification. In our opinion molecular and pathological characterization of canine mammary malignancy can complement one another. However, furthers studies in this field are required.

MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ORNITHOSTRONGYLUS QUADRIRADIATUS ISOLATED FROM A RACING PIGEON (COLUMBA LIVIA DOMESTICA).

An infestation of Ornithostrongylus quadriradiatus, has been found in a racing pigeon Columba livia domestica). In addition, this individual had a mild infection with Trichomonas spp. and Eimeria spp. The bird showed symptoms of increased appetite; unformed, dark- green feces; and lack of typical male behavior, but the general condition of this pigeon was good. The pigeon was euthanized because of a permanent inability to fly due to an injury to the wing. A postmortem examination revealed the presence of very small dark-pink twisted nematodes with the morphology of O. quadriradiatus in the small intestine, mainly the duodenum. Histopathology showed segmental inflammatory changes in the intestines caused by both blood-sucking nematodes and Eimeria spp. The 5.8S ribosomal ribonucleic acid polymerase chain reaction amplicons from deoxyribonucleic acid extracted from O. quadriradiatus had 82.40% identity with Australostrongylus victoriensis and 81.20% with Travassostrongylus spp. This is the first molecular characterization of O. quadriradiatus-a relatively rare pigeon parasite.

A role of ghrelin in canine mammary carcinoma cells proliferation, apoptosis and migration.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is a natural ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). They are often co-expressed in multiple human tumors and related cancer cell lines what can indicate that the ghrelin/GHS-R axis may have an important role in tumor growth and progression. However, a role of ghrelin in canine tumors remains unknown. Thus, the aim of our study was two-fold: (1) to assess expression of ghrelin and its receptor in canine mammary cancer and (2) to examine the effect of ghrelin on carcinoma cells proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. The expression of ghrelin and its receptor in canine mammary cancer tissues and cell lines (isolated from primary tumors and their metastases) was examined using Real-time qPCR and immunohistochemistry. For apoptosis analysis the Annexin V and propidium iodide dual staining was applied whereas cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay and BrdU incorporation test. The influence of ghrelin on cancer cells migration and invasion was assessed using Boyden chamber assays and wound healing assay. RESULTS: The highest expression of ghrelin was observed in metastatic cancers whereas the lowest expression of ghrelin receptor was detected in tumors of the 3rd grade of malignancy. Higher expression of ghrelin and its receptor was detected in cancer cell lines isolated from metastases than in cell lines isolated from primary tumors. In vitro experiments demonstrated that exposure to low doses of ghrelin stimulates cellular proliferation, inhibits apoptosis and promotes motility and invasion of canine mammary cancer cells. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor inhibitor ([D-Lys3]-GHRP6) as well as RNA interference enhances early apoptosis. CONCLUSION: The presence of ghrelin and GHS-R in all of the examined canine mammary tumors may indicate their biological role in cancer growth and development. Our experiments conducted in vitro confirmed that ghrelin promotes cancer development and metastasis.

The gene expression profiles of canine mammary cancer cells grown with carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a co-culture in vitro.

BACKGROUND: It is supposed that fibroblasts present in tumour microenvironment increase cancer invasiveness and its ability to metastasize but the mechanisms have not been clearly defined yet. Thus, the current study was designed to assess changes in gene expression in five various cancer cell lines grown as a co-culture with the carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in vitro. RESULTS: A carcinoma-associated fibroblast cell line was isolated from a canine mammary cancer. Then, a co-culture of cancer cells with the CAFs was established and maintained for 72 hrs. Having sorted the cells, a global gene expression in cancer cells using DNA microarrays was examined. The analysis revealed an up-regulation of 100 genes and a down-regulation of 106 genes in the cancer cells grown as a co-culture with the CAFs in comparison to control conditions. The PANTHER binomial statistics tool was applied to determine statistically over-manifested pathways (p < 0.05). Bulk of the up-regulated genes are involved in the adhesion, the angiogenesis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and generally take part in the developmental processes. These results were further confirmed using real-time qPCR. Moreover, a wound-healing assay and growth characteristics on Matrigel matrix showed that CAFs increase cancer cell migration and matrix invasion. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study showed that the co-culturing of cancer cells and the CAFs caused significant changes to the cancer gene expression. The presence of the CAFs in a microenvironment of cancer cells promotes adhesion, angiogenesis and EMT.

Chicken embryo lethality assay for determining the lethal dose, tissue distribution and pathogenicity of clinical Enterococcus cecorum isolates from poultry.

Enterococcus cecorum is a well-known component of the normal poultry intestinal microbiota and an important bacterial pathogen. Infections caused by E. cecorum have negative effects on the poultry production worldwide. In this study we used the SPF-chicken embryo lethality assay (ELA) to assess the pathogenic potential of E. cecorum. A total of 23 isolates were used: 19 clinical isolates from field outbreaks in different poultry groups (CB - broiler chickens, BB - broiler breeders, CL - layers, T- turkeys, W - waterfowl) and 4 commensal isolates. The cumulative mortality caused by all clinical isolates was higher (53.4%) than that of the commensals (38.9%). The highest mortality was induced by CB isolates (68.9%), followed by CL (60.4%), all chicken isolates (59.2%; CB, BB, CL), BB (45.8%), T (41.7%), non-chicken isolates (40.7%; T, W), and W isolates (39.8%). Most of the embryos that died, did die on the 1st day post-infection (dpi), except those infected with CB, CL (on 2 dpi). The median lethal dose (LD50) of E. cecorum ranged from 6.07 × 102 cfu/ml (CB isolates) and 1.42 × 104 cfu/ml (all clinical isolates) to 4.8 × 105 cfu/ml (commensal isolates). This study provides the first evidence of a wide tissue distribution and multiplication of E. cecorum in embryos. Dead embryos showed scattered petechiae, hemorrhages, aggregates of bacteria in blood vessels, multiple organ necrosis, and encephalomalacia. Our data indicate that surviving embryos were able to elicit innate immune response to infection. On the other hand, reisolation of viable bacteria from surviving embryos may suggest that E. cecorum could evade or resist immune mechanisms in order to persist in organs. Furthermore, body mass of surviving embryos was affected by the strain type, not the dose (bacterial concentration) used, and was lower for the infection with clinical strains. The results indicated the highest pathogenicity of clinical E. cecorum isolates from CB and CL flocks.

Could the type and severity of gross lesions in pig lymph nodes play a role in the detection of Mycobacterium avium?

The Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) comprises a widespread group of slowly-growing bacteria from the Mycobacteriaceae. These bacteria are responsible for opportunistic infections in humans and animals, including farm animals. The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to predict the presence of M. avium in pig lymph nodes based on the size and type of lesions found during post-mortem examination at a slaughterhouse. Lymph nodes were collected from 10,600 pigs subjected to such post-mortem examination. The nodes were classified with regard to their quality, and the number of tuberculosis-like lesions; following this, 86 mandibular lymph nodes with lesions and 113 without visible macroscopic lesions were selected for further study. Cultures were established on Löwenstein-Jensen and Stonebrink media, and a commercial GenoType Mycobacterium CM test was used to identify and differentiate M. avium species. The prevalence of M. avium was 56.98% in the lymph nodes with lesions and 19.47% in the unchanged ones. Statistical analysis indicated that visual assessment of lesions in the mandibular lymph nodes, in particular the number of tuberculous lesions, is a highly-efficient diagnostic tool. Similar results were obtained for estimated percentage area affected by the lesion, i.e. the ratio of the changed area of the lymph node in cross-section to the total cross-sectional area of the lymph node; however, this method is more laborious and its usefulness in slaughterhouse conditions is limited. By incising the lymph nodes and assessing the number of tuberculosis-like lesions, it is possible to limit the inclusion of meat from pigs infected with M. avium into the human food chain.

The Prevalence of Histopathological Features of Pneumonia in Goats with Symptomatic Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis.

Chronic interstitial pneumonia (CIP) is a main pathology of sheep infected with small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV). Caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) is caused by the same pathogen; however, the presence of CIP has been only occasionally reported in SRLV-infected goats. We carried out a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of histopathological lesions indicative of CIP in goats with symptomatic CAE, and to investigate whether CIP was associated with a higher prevalence of other types of pneumonia (purulent bronchopneumonia, fibrinous pleuropneumonia) or bacterial infections. Lung specimens and bronchial swabs were collected for histopathological and bacteriological examination, respectively, from 116 goats from a CAE-affected herd. All goats were euthanized due to severe clinical signs of CAE. The goats were seropositive for SRLV infection in two different ELISAs and the presence of SRLV antigen in the lung tissue was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Histopathologically, pneumonia of any type was confirmed in 82 goats (70.7%) and CIP was present in 67 goats (57.8%). In most goats, the severity of the histopathological features of pneumonia was mild. Bacteria were detected in bronchial swabs from 73 goats (62.9%). CIP proved to be significantly positively linked to the occurrence of purulent bronchopneumonia (p < 0.001), fibrinous pleuropneumonia (p = 0.001), and of the infection of lungs with bacteria capable of causing pneumonia (p = 0.050). The causal character of these associations should be considered and warrants further investigation.

Monitored Therapy of Sporadic Mycobacteriosis Caused By Mycobacterium Genavense in Atlantic Canaries (Serinus Canaria) and Bengalese Finch (Lonchura Striata).

INTRODUCTION: Mycobacteriosis is a significant disease of companion and wild birds which causes emaciation and widely distributed lesions, as well as being a potential zoonosis. Its primary aetiological agents in birds are Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium and the fastidious Mycobacterium genavense. This study monitored the therapy of birds naturally infected with Mycobacterium genavense to gain understanding of its effectiveness and the interrelation of co-infections with the disease course and pharmacotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five Atlantic canaries (Serinus canaria) and one Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata) with tentative diagnoses of mycobacteriosis resulting from M. genavense infection were treated twice daily with clarithromycin at 40 mg/kg, ethambutol at 30 mg/kg, and moxifloxacin at 10 mg/kg for 6 months. Two canaries were also found to be carriers of Cryptosporidium galli. Mycobacteria in faecal samples of all birds were investigated by bacterioscopy and quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Molecular tests yielded positive results for up to four months after treatment initiation for M. genavense and Cryptosporidium, but microscopy failed to detect the latter after four weeks in specimens from one canary. Co-infections with polyomavirus (in all birds) and circovirus and bornavirus (in canaries) were diagnosed. Two birds died during treatment and one was euthanised because of other disease, 1 month after treatment completion. Three canaries were in relatively good health a year after treatment. CONCLUSION: Canary circovirus and polyomavirus co-infection may suppress the immune system and this may facilitate the development of mycobacteriosis. The set of drugs used led to the complete cure of mycobacteriosis in three canaries. In one bird the disease returned. Clarithromycin was the active drug against C. galli. Molecular methods serve well to monitor mycobacteriosis therapy and identify M. genavense and C. galli carriage.

Mutations of p53 Gene in Canine Sweat Gland Carcinomas Probably Associated with UV Radiation.

INTRODUCTION: Apocrine sweat gland carcinomas (ASGCs) are rare malignant skin tumours in dogs and humans. The literature published so far focuses mostly on the clinico-epidemiological aspect of these tumours, but little is known about their pathogenesis. In this study we aimed to determine whether the p53 gene is involved in the carcinogenesis of the apocrine sweat gland in dogs and whether ultraviolet radiation (UV) is related to it. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty canine ASGCs were submitted to laser capture microdissection to isolate neoplastic cells, from which DNA was subsequently extracted. PCR amplification and sequencing of p53 exons 2-8 was then performed, followed by computer analysis of the obtained sequences. RESULTS: Sixteen mutations within the p53 gene were found in 13 tumours. The mutations involved C → T, T → C, G → A, and CC → TT transitions, C → G transversion and adenine deletion, which are gene alteration types known to be related to UV radiation in the process of skin carcinogenesis in humans. Six of the thirteen tumour cases displayed the C → T transitions in the same location in exon 4 and three of the thirteen cases displayed T → C in the same location in exon 5. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate both the participation of the p53 gene and the influence of UV radiation in the formation of ASGCs in dogs.