Zoobiquity experiments show the importance of the local MMP9-plasminogen axis in inflammatory bowel diseases in both dogs and patients.

Using a zoobiquity concept, we directly connect animal phenotypes to a human disease mechanism: the reduction of local plasminogen levels caused by matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) activity is associated with the development of inflammation in the intestines of dogs and patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We first investigated inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs), which are a canine gastrointestinal disease characterized by the presence of idiopathic chronic inflammation, in Miniature Dachshund (MD) and found 31 missense disease-associated SNPs by whole-exome sequencing. We sequenced them in 10 other dog breeds and found five, PLG, TCOF1, TG, COL9A2 and COL4A4, only in MD. We then investigated two rare and breed-specific missense SNPs (T/T SNPs), PLG: c.477G > T and c.478A>T, and found that ICRPs with the T/T SNP risk alleles showed less intact plasminogen and plasmin activity in the lesions compared to ICRPs without the risk alleles but no differences in serum. Moreover, we show that MMP9, which is an NF-κB target, caused the plasminogen reduction and that intestinal epithelial cells expressing plasminogen molecules were co-localized with epithelial cells expressing MMP9 in normal colons with the risk alleles. Importantly, MMP9 expression in patients with ulcerous colitis or Crohn's disease also co-localized with epithelial cells showing enhanced NF-κB activation and less plasminogen expression. Overall, our zoobiquity experiments showed that MMP9 induces the plasminogen reduction in the intestine, contributing to the development of local inflammation and suggesting the local MMP9-plasminogen axis is a therapeutic target in both dogs and patients. Therefore, zoobiquity-type experiments could bring new perspectives for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Investigation of serum cortisol concentration as a potential prognostic marker in hospitalized dogs: a prospective observational study in a primary care animal hospital.

BACKGROUND: Dogs with various medical diseases are usually treated at hospitals; however, the prognostic markers in dogs remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of serum cortisol concentration (SCC) to predict the prognosis of dogs with medical diseases. At 0 and 24 h after hospitalization, the neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, blood glucose concentration, and SCC were measured. Survival for 30 days from the time of hospitalization was investigated, and the dogs were divided into a survivor group and a non-survivor group. RESULTS: The neutrophil count at 24 h, SCC at 24 h, increase in SCC from 0 to 24 h (Inc-SCC), and the rate of increase in SCC from 0 to 24 h (R-Inc-SCC) were significantly higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values for the neutrophil count at 24 h, SCC at 24 h, Inc-SCC, and R-Inc-SCC were 0.695, 0.72, 0.63, and 0.66, respectively. Using the highest area under the ROC curve value, the sensitivity and specificity of SCC at a cutoff level of 6.6 µg/dL for predicting mortality were 89.5 and 61.9%, respectively. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier curves confirmed the significant prognostic influence of SCC at 24 h. CONCLUSIONS: SCC as a marker of stress is a useful biomarker for predicting the prognosis of dogs with medical diseases requiring hospital treatment.

Mechanistic Insight on the Formation of GaN:ZnO Solid Solution from Zn-Ga Layered Double Hydroxide Using Urea as the Nitriding Agent.

A solid solution of GaN and ZnO (GaN:ZnO) is promising as a photocatalyst for visible-light-driven overall water splitting to produce H2. However, several obstacles still exist in the conventional preparation procedure of GaN:ZnO. For example, the atomic distributions of Zn and Ga are nonuniform in GaN:ZnO when a mixture of the metal oxides, i.e. Ga2O3 and ZnO, is used as a precursor. In addition, GaN:ZnO is generally prepared under a harmful NH3 flow for long durations at high temperatures. Here, a facile synthesis of GaN:ZnO with homogeneous atomic composition via a simple and safe procedure is reported. A layered double hydroxide (LDH) containing Zn2+ and Ga3+ was used to increase the uniformity of the atomic distributions of Zn and Ga in GaN:ZnO. We employed urea as a nitriding agent instead of gaseous NH3 to increase the safety of the reaction. Through the optimization of reaction conditions such as heat treatment temperature and content of urea, single-phase GaN:ZnO was successfully obtained. In addition, the nitridation mechanism using urea was investigated in detail. NH3 released from the thermal decomposition of urea did not directly nitride the LDH precursor. X-ray absorption and infrared  spectroscopies revealed that Zn(CN2)-like intermediate species were generated at the middle temperature range and Ga-N bonds formed at high temperature along with dissociation of CO and CO2.

Long-term outcome of myotonia associated with hyperadrenocorticism in 2 dogs.

Two dogs were diagnosed with myotonia associated with hyperadrenocorticism and treated with trilostane. One dog showed temporary improvement, but the other dog showed no improvement. The dogs survived 2383 and 1902 days, respectively. Findings suggest that myotonia persists despite treatment, but this condition is not associated with a poor prognosis for survival.

Résultat à long terme de la myotonie associée à l'hyperadrénocorticisme chez 2 chiens. Deux chiens ont été diagnostiqués avec la myotonie associée à l'hyperadrénocorticisme et traités avec du trilostane. Un chien a manifesté une amélioration temporaire, mais l'autre n'a manifesté aucune amélioration. Les chiens ont survécu 2383 et 1902 jours, respectivement. Les résultats ont suggéré que la myotonie persiste malgré le traitement, mais cette affection n'est pas associée à un pronostic défavorable pour la survie.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Case report: Echinococcus multilocularis infection in a dog showing gastrointestinal signs in Hokkaido, Japan.

Echinococcus multilocularis is a cestode that causes human alveolar echinococcosis, a lethal zoonotic disease distributed in the northern hemisphere. The life cycle of this parasite is maintained in nature by voles as intermediate hosts and foxes as definitive hosts in Hokkaido, Japan. Although dogs are also susceptible to the parasite, the infection has been considered typically asymptomatic. We report the detection of E. multilocularis eggs in the diarrheal feces of a dog with chronic gastrointestinal signs, which disappeared after anthelmintic treatment. The mitochondrial genome sequence constructed by sequencing of the overlapping PCRs using DNA from the eggs was identical to the most predominant haplotype previously reported in red foxes in Hokkaido. This case highlights that Echinococcus infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis for diarrheal dogs in the disease endemic areas. Further efforts are needed to accumulate parasite genotypes in domestic dogs as well as humans to assess the risk of human infection from dogs.

Successful treatment of acute respiratory failure following hypertensive crisis in a dog with presumed pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma.

Background: Acute respiratory failure has been reported as one of the manifestations of hypertensive crisis in pheochromocytoma in human medicine. In dogs, no reports have been described as acute respiratory failure following hypertensive crisis. Here, we report the clinical presentation, course, and treatment of acute respiratory failure following the hypertensive crisis in a dog with presumed pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. Case Description: A 12-year-old neutered male toy poodle was referred for the diagnostic evaluation of a right adrenal gland mass. The dog suddenly exhibited severe dyspnea with abnormal hypertension (systolic blood pressure >200 mmHg) 15 minutes after recovery from the anesthesia for the computed tomography (CT) examination. Pulmonary CT and ultrasonography findings suggested acute onset of severe pulmonary edema. Pulmonary edema was treated with mechanical ventilation (pressure-support ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure) and negative fluid balance after the administration of furosemide. Weaning from mechanical ventilation was successful 24 hours after the onset of respiratory failure. Finally, the dog was discharged 3 days after weaning from ventilation without complications. Conclusion: This report outlines a case of acute respiratory failure following a hypertensive crisis requiring mechanical ventilatory management in a dog. The onset and progression of pulmonary edema were extremely rapid. However, improvement in pulmonary edema was also rapid. Hemodynamic stability, in addition to prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapeutic intervention, including mechanical ventilation, may have contributed to the good prognosis of pulmonary edema following hypertensive crisis in a dog, which we attribute to a catecholamine storm.

Successful treatment of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis in a cat using bioresorbable hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose membrane after surgical adhesiolysis and long-term prednisolone.

Case summary: An 8-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair indoor cat was presented with an 8-week history of intermittent vomiting, anorexia and weight loss that had been unresponsive to supportive treatment. Abdominal ultrasound revealed plication of the small intestine and fluid accumulation proximal to the lesion, and a linear foreign body was suspected. An exploratory celiotomy showed cocoon-like encapsulation of the entire intestine. Surgical adhesiolysis and full-thickness biopsy were performed, and histopathologic examination revealed mild thickening of the visceral peritoneum with fibrin deposition, as well as mild neutrophil and lymphocyte infiltration. These findings were compatible with sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP). The cat recovered well postoperatively and was discharged the next day. Prednisolone was administered for 7 weeks to prevent recurrence of SEP. Five months after surgery, the cat was re-presented with anorexia and chronic vomiting. Based on the clinical examination findings, recurrent SEP was suspected. At the second surgery, surgical adhesiolysis was repeated and a bioresorbable hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose membrane was used to cover the serosal surface and thus prevent adhesion formation. Histopathologic findings of the peritoneal biopsy specimen confirmed SEP. Long-term prednisolone treatment (1 mg/kg for the first dose and 0.5 mg/kg every 48 h for maintenance) was administered postoperatively. The cat survived for more than 1239 days without recurrence. Relevance and novel information: To our knowledge, this is the first report of SEP in a cat with long-term survival. The use of a bioresorbable hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose membrane and long-term prednisolone treatment may have prevented short-term and long-term recurrence, respectively, in this case.

An inflammatory bowel disease-associated SNP increases local thyroglobulin expression to develop inflammation in miniature dachshunds.

Inflammatory colorectal polyp (ICRP) in miniature dachshunds (MDs) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by granulomatous inflammation that consists of neutrophil infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia in the colon. Recently, we identified five MD-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), namely PLG, TCOF1, TG, COL9A2, and COL4A4, by whole-exome sequencing. Here, we investigated whether TG c.4567C>T (p.R1523W) is associated with the ICRP pathology. We found that the frequency of the T/T SNP risk allele was significantly increased in MDs with ICRP. In vitro experiments showed that TG expression in non-immune cells was increased by inducing the IL-6 amplifier with IL-6 and TNF-α. On the other hand, a deficiency of TG suppressed the IL-6 amplifier. Moreover, recombinant TG treatment enhanced the activation of the IL-6 amplifier, suggesting that TG is both a positive regulator and a target of the IL-6 amplifier. We also found that TG expression together with two NF-κB targets, IL6 and CCL2, was increased in colon samples isolated from MDs with the T/T risk allele compared to those with the C/C non-risk allele, but serum TG was not increased. Cumulatively, these results suggest that the T/T SNP is an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) of TG mRNA in the colon, and local TG expression triggered by this SNP increases the risk of ICRP in MDs via the IL-6 amplifier. Therefore, TG c.4567C>T is a diagnostic target for ICRP in MDs, and TG-mediated IL-6 amplifier activation in the colon is a possible therapeutic target for ICRP.

Characterization of mucin gene expression and goblet cell proportion in inflammatory colorectal polyps in miniature dachshunds.

Hyperplastic goblet cells and abundant mucus are significant characteristics of inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) in miniature dachshunds. In this study, selected mucin gene expressions and goblet cell proportions were evaluated in miniature dachshunds with ICRPs and in healthy dogs. Mucin 2 (MUC2) gene expression was not significantly different among the groups, whereas mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) gene expression was significantly higher in the polypoid lesions than in healthy colonic mucosa. Although the percentage of goblet cells in the upper crypt regions did not significantly differ between the groups, that in the lower crypt regions was significantly decreased in polypoid lesions. In conclusion, increased MUC5AC gene expression and goblet cell proportion changes may be associated with the pathogenesis of ICRPs.

Urinary corticoid to creatinine ratios using IMMULITE 2000 XPi for diagnosis of canine hypercortisolism.

The urinary corticoid to creatinine ratio (UCCR) is one of the most commonly used screening tests for canine hypercortisolism (HC). In this study, a reference interval was established for UCCR using IMMULITE 2000 XPi, the latest chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. The diagnostic performance of this method for UCCR in canine HC was also evaluated. The median UCCR was 1.06 × 10-5 (range: 0.28-2.49) for 58 healthy dogs, and an upper reference limit of 1.98 × 10-5 (90% confidence interval: 1.76-2.15) was determined. The median UCCR in the 12 dogs with HC (7.38 × 10-5, range 1.86-29.98) was significantly higher than that in the 16 dogs with mimic-HC (1.59 × 10-5, range 0.47-3.42, P<0.001). The area under the curve for UCCR to differentiate HC dogs from mimic-HC dogs was 0.971, with a sensitivity of 91.7% and specificity of 100% when the cut-off value was set at 3.77 × 10-5. The UCCR of 16 paired urine samples collected at home and in hospital showed that the UCCR of samples collected in the hospital was significantly higher than that of samples collected at home (mean difference 3.30 × 10-5, 95% confidence interval: 0.70-5.90, P=0.001). In summary, we established the upper reference limit for UCCR using IMMULITE 2000 XPi in dogs and confirmed that UCCR is a useful diagnostic test for HC in dogs if urine samples are collected at home.

Serum steroid profiling of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hyperadrenocorticism in dogs: A preliminary study.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common primary liver tumors in humans and dogs. Excessive adrenocortical hormone exposure may cause steroid hepatopathy, which may develop into HCC. In our previous study, hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) was a highly concurrent disease in dogs with HCC. Therefore, this study hypothesized that adrenal steroid alterations might be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis and aimed to specify the relationship between HAC and HCC in dogs. Materials and methods: This study included 46 dogs brought to the Hokkaido University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between March 2019 and December 2020. Owners gave their signed consent for blood collection on their first visit. A total of 19 steroids (14 steroids and 5 metabolites) in the baseline serum of 15 dogs with HCC, 15 dogs with HAC, and 10 dogs with both diseases were quantitatively measured using the developed liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method. Results: In each group, 11 steroids were detected higher than 50%. The detection rate of steroid hormones did not significantly differ between the groups (p > 0.05). Principle component analysis (PCA) showed that the steroid profiles of the three groups were comparable. Median steroid hormone concentrations were not significantly different between the study diseases (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The developed LC/MS/MS was useful for measuring steroid hormones. Although it was clear that HAC was concurrent in dogs with HCC, none of the serum steroids was suggested to be involved in HCC.

Prognostic value of small intestinal dilatation in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.

To date, little is known about the prognostic significance of ultrasonographic findings in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). The aim of this retrospective study was to examine the prognostic value of ultrasonographic findings in dogs with PLE. A total of 26 dogs with PLE were included: 20 dogs with chronic enteropathy and 6 dogs with gastrointestinal lymphoma. The presence of small intestinal dilatation was associated with shorter survival time in dogs with PLE (P=0.003). The presence of hyperechoic intestinal mucosal striations was associated with longer survival time in dogs with PLE (P=0.0085). The results of the current study indicate that the presence of small intestinal dilatation might be associated with poor prognosis in dogs with PLE.

Obese status is associated with accelerated DNA methylation change in peripheral blood of senior dogs.

Obesity and its associated comorbidities constitute a major and growing health problem worldwide not only involved with people but also dogs and cats. Although few genetic mutations have been associated with obesity in dogs, molecular mechanism remains to be clearly understood. Given the fact that DNA methylation leads to gene expression variability and has plasticity affected by metabolic phenotypes such as obesity in human, the objective of this study is to identify obesity-associated differentially methylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotide sites in dogs. With genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using next-generation sequencing for blood samples from fourteen Miniature dachshunds with body condition score (BCS) 4-5 and BCS ≥6, over 100,000 sites could be analysed to identify genomic locations of differentially methylated CpG sites. As a result, 191 differentially methylated CpG sites (89 CpG sites were hypermethylated in BCS ≥6 and 102 were hypermethylated in BCS 4-5) were identified. These sites included promoter regions of Kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) and Calcyphosine 2 (CAPS2) genes which were subsequently validated by bisulfite-pyrosequencing for another set of 157 dog blood samples. KISS1R methylation levels were found to be higher in BCS ≥6 group than BCS 4-5 in senior (>84 months) dogs. Especially male dogs but not female dogs as well as uncastrated male dogs but not castrated male dogs showed this trend. DNA methylation of KISS1R gene will be useful for understanding of comprehensive epigenetic change in obese dogs.

Peliosis Hepatis with Chylous Ascites in a Dog.

A 6-year-old spayed female Toy Poodle dog was referred to the Hokkaido University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for abdominal distension. Abdominocentesis yielded ascitic fluid that had a mildly increased total protein concentration and a 2.7-fold higher triglyceride concentration than plasma, and was interpreted as chylous ascites. The patient had an enlarged liver, which contained multiple, small, nodular masses and cyst-like structures. Microscopically, these lesions were multifocal dilated spaces containing lymphocytes, endothelial cells, fibrin and islands of hepatocytes. Increased α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells were observed in hepatic sinusoids. Based on these findings, we diagnosed peliosis hepatis with chylous ascites, which is likely to have been due to lymphangiectasia and disrupted hepatic sinusoids. Neither Bartonella spp DNA nor mutations in ACVRL1 and MTM1 genes were detected, although there was a 47-fold increase in hepatic ACVRL1 expression compared with age-matched control liver. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of chylous ascites resulting from peliosis hepatis in any species.

Urinary free metanephrines measurement in dogs with adrenal gland diseases using a new simple liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method.

Measurement of urinary metanephrines in spot samples is used for the diagnosis of canine pheochromocytoma (PC). We describe a simple analytical method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for measuring free metanephrine (MN) and normetanephrine (NMN) in spot urine samples. Using the developed method, we evaluated the stability of urinary free-MN and free-NMN at various storing conditions. In addition, we assessed the feasibility of urinary free-MN and -NMN measurement for diagnosing PC. Urine samples were mixed with stable isotope internal standards and thereafter purified by ultrafiltration. The purified samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode after separation on a multimode octa decyl silyl column. The coefficient of variation of free-MN and -NMN measurement was 7.6% and 5.5%, respectively. The linearity range was 0.5-10 µg/l for both analytes. Degradation was less than 10% for both analytes under any of the storage conditions. The median free-NMN ratio to creatinine of 9 PC dogs (595, range 144-47,961) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of 13 dogs with hypercortisolism (125, range 52-224) or 15 healthy dogs (85, range 50-117). The developed method is simple and may not require acidification of spot urine. The results of this preliminary retrospective study suggest that the measurement of urinary free metanephrines is a promising tool for diagnosing canine PC.

Simultaneous steroids measurement in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism using a column-switching liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method.

We developed an analytical method using an on-line column-switching liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) for quantifying multiple steroids in serum. Using the developed method, we evaluated the serum concentration of nine steroids (cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, 21-deoxycortisol, deoxycorticosterone, progesterone, 17α-OH-progesterone and aldosterone) in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). Serum was mixed with stable isotope internal standards and thereafter purified by the automated column-switching system. The limit of detection ranged 2-16 pg/ml for nine steroids. In the baseline samples, five steroids (cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, and 17α-OH-progesterone) were detected in all dogs. The concentrations of cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, and 17α-OH-progesterone in dogs with HAC (n=19) were significantly higher those in dogs without HAC (n=15, P<0.02). After the adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test, six steroids (cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, 17α-OH-progesterone, and deoxycorticosterone) were above the limit of quantification in all dogs. Cortisol, corticosterone, cortisone, and deoxycorticosterone concentrations of dogs with HAC were significantly higher than those of dogs without HAC (P<0.02). In addition, 11-deoxycortisol and 17α-OH-progesterone concentration was higher in dogs with HAC than in dogs without HAC (P=0.044 and P=0.048, respectively). The on-line column-switching LC/MS/MS would be feasible for measuring multiple steroids in dog serum. The results suggest that cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, and 17α-OH-progesterone would be related to HAC. Further studies are warranted to assess the clinical feasibility of steroid profile in dogs with HAC.

Gene expression of leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in the polypoid lesion of inflammatory colorectal polyps in miniature dachshunds.

Inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) in miniature dachshunds (MDs) are speculated to be a breed-specific inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) has been identified as a novel biomarker of human IBD. The aim of this study was to examine LRG gene expression in the polypoid lesions of ICRPs. Polypoid lesion specimens were collected from 24 MDs with ICRPs. Nonpolypoid colonic mucosa was collected from 18 MDs with ICRPs and 10 controls. The gene expression of LRG, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-22 was examined. The expression of LRG gene was significantly increased in the polypoid lesions of ICRPs and correlated with that of the four cytokines. In conclusion, the LRG gene was expressed within the polypoid lesions of ICRPs and might be associated with local cytokine expression.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in canine gastrointestinal lymphoma.

DNA methylation is the covalent modification of methyl groups to DNA mostly at CpG dinucleotides and one of the most studied epigenetic mechanisms that leads to gene expression variability without affecting the DNA sequence. Genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation identified the signatures that could define subtypes of human lymphoma patients. The objective of this study was to conduct the genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in dogs with gastrointestinal lymphoma (GIL). Genomic DNA was extracted from endoscopic biopsies from 10 dogs with GIL. We performed Digital Restriction Enzyme Assay of DNA Methylation (DREAM) for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis that could provide highly quantitative information on DNA methylation levels of CpG sites across the dog genome. We successfully obtained data of quantitative DNA methylation level for 148,601-162,364 CpG sites per GIL sample. Next, we analyzed 83,132 CpG sites to dissect the differences in DNA methylation between GIL and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We found 383-3,054 CpG sites that were hypermethylated in GIL cases compared to PBMCs. Interestingly, 773 CpG sites including promoter regions of 61 genes were identified to be commonly hypermethylated in more than half of the cases, suggesting conserved DNA methylation patterns that are abnormal in GIL. This study revealed that there was a large number of hypermethylated sites that are common in most of canine GIL. These abnormal DNA methylation could be involved in tumorigenesis of the canine GIL.

Clinical characteristics of dogs with food-responsive protein-losing enteropathy.

BACKGROUND: In dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), data on the clinical characteristics of food-responsive PLE (FR-PLE) remain scarce. OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical characteristics of FR-PLE in dogs responsive to ultralow-fat diet (ULFD) management. ANIMALS: Thirty-three dogs diagnosed with PLE based on standard diagnostic criteria. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records. Clinical findings were compared between dogs with FR-PLE (FR-PLE group) and those with immunosuppressant-responsive PLE (IR-PLE) or nonresponsive PLE (NR-PLE) (IR/NR-PLE group). The area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the ability of factors to differentiate the FR-PLE and IR/NR-PLE groups. Survival time was compared between the FR-PLE and IR/NR-PLE groups. RESULTS: Twenty-three dogs responded to ULFD management and were diagnosed with FR-PLE. The canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) was significantly lower in the FR-PLE group than in the IR/NR-PLE group (P < .001). The AUC of CCECAI for differentiating the FR-PLE group was 0.935 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.845-1.000) with an optimal cutoff value of 8 (sensitivity, 0.826; specificity, 0.889). Survival times were significantly longer in the FR-PLE group (median, not reached) than in the IR/NR-PLE group (median, 432 days; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs that respond to ULFD management and are diagnosed with FR-PLE are expected to have a favorable prognosis. Clinical scores, specifically the CCECAI, could be useful for differentiating FR-PLE from IR-PLE or NR-PLE.

An area ratio of thyroid gland to common carotid artery for evaluating the thyroid gland size.

The feasibility of ultrasonographic measurement of thyroid gland area to common carotid artery (TG:CCA) was investigated. Twenty-one healthy, 12 hypothyroid and 18 non-thyroid illness (NTI) dogs were evaluated. The area of thyroid lobe and common carotid artery in right and left sides were measured using the same ultrasonographic images in transverse plane. The average of the right and left ratio was calculated as TG:CCA. The median TG:CCA of 21 healthy dogs was 1.53, and it did not correlate either body weight or age. The median TG:CCA of 12 hypothyroid dogs was 0.81, which was significantly lower than that of 18 NTI dogs (1.81, P<0.001). If the cut off value <1.12 was used, TG:CCA indicated hypothyroidism with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 83%, and accuracy of 90%. Our data indicated that TG:CCA was independent of both body weight, which may contribute to consistent measurement of thyroid size. The results of this study suggest that TG:CCA is a promising tool for diagnosing canine hypothyroidism.