No viable bacterial communities reside in the urinary bladder of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis.

Urinary microbial diversities have been reported in humans according to sex, age and clinical status, including painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). To date, the role of the urinary microbiome in the pathogenesis of PBS/IC is debated. Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a chronic lower urinary tract disorder affecting cats with similarities to PBS/IC in women and represents an important problem in veterinary medicine as its aetiology is currently unknown. In this study, the presence of a bacterial community residing in the urinary bladder of cats with a diagnosis of FIC was investigated. Nineteen cats with clinical signs and history of FIC and without growing bacteria in standard urine culture were included and urine collected with ultrasound-guided cystocentesis. Bacterial community was investigated using a culture-dependent approach consisted of expanded quantitative urine culture techniques and a culture-independent approach consisted of 16S rRNA NGS. Several methodological practices were adopted to both avoid and detect any contamination or bias introduced by means of urine collection and processing which could be relevant due to the low microbial biomass environment of the bladder and urinary tract, including negative controls analysis. All the cats included showed no growing bacteria in the urine analysed. Although few reads were originated using 16S rRNA NGS, a comparable pattern was observed between urine samples and negative controls, and no taxa were confidently classified as non-contaminant. The results obtained suggest the absence of viable bacteria and of bacterial DNA of urinary origin in the urinary bladder of cats with FIC.

Calves as Main Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Dairy Farms.

A side effect of antibiotic usage is the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within microbial communities. The spread of ARGs among pathogens has emerged as a public health concern. While the distribution of ARGs is documented on a global level, their routes of transmission have not been clarified yet; for example, it is not clear whether and to what extent the emergence of ARGs originates in farms, following the selective pressure exerted by antibiotic usage in animal husbandry, and if they can spread into the environment. Here we address this cutting edge issue by combining data regarding antimicrobial usage and quantitative data from selected ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTXM, ermB, vanA, qnrS, tetA, sul2, and mcr-1) encoding for resistance to penicillins, macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins, glycopeptides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and colistin at the farm level. Results suggest that dairy farms could be considered a hotspot of ARGs, comprising those classified as the highest risk for human health and that a correlation existed between the usage of penicillins and blaTEM abundances, meaning that, although the antibiotic administration is not exclusive, it remains a certain cause of the ARGs' selection and spread in farms. Furthermore, this study identified the role of calves as the main source of ARGs spread in dairy farms, claiming the need for targeted actions in this productive category to decrease the load of ARGs along the production chain.

Severe gastroenteropathy associated with Clostridium perfringens isolation in starving juvenile sturgeons.

In November 2020 a mortality episode (30%) in juvenile Siberian and Russian sturgeons (Acipenser baerii, Brandt, and A. gueldenstaedtii, Brandt & Ratzeburg) and GUBA hybrid sturgeons (A. gueldenstaedtii × A. baerii) occurred in a hatchery in Northern Italy, associated with severe coelomic distension and abnormal reverse surface swimming. The fish were reared in concrete tanks supplied by well water, fed at 0.4% of body weight (b.w.) per day. Thirty sturgeon specimens were collected for necropsy, histological, bacteriological and virological examination. Macroscopic findings included diffuse and severe bloating of gastrointestinal tracts due to foamy contents with thinning and stretching of the gastrointestinal walls. Histological analysis revealed variable degrees of sloughing and necrosis of the intestinal epithelium, and the presence of bacterial aggregates. Anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria were investigated, and Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the gut. Specific PCRs identified the toxinotype A and the ß2 toxin gene. The daily feed administration was increased to 1.5% b.w. and after 5 days, the mortality ceased. A new animal cohort from the same groups was examined after 12 weeks, showing neither gut alterations nor isolation of C. perfringens. The imbalance of intestinal microbiota, presumably caused by underfeeding, favoured C. perfringens overgrowth and severe gas formation. The diet increase possibly restored the normal microbiota.

Chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases: the histology report.

The incidence of chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is growing in western countries, making their histological diagnosis an everyday task for all pathologists. Reviews from the literature strongly suggest that such diagnosis cannot be performed on the histological ground alone but requires a clinical-pathological approach. Moreover, bewildering variations can be observed in the terminology employed to report either individual lesions or diagnostic categories. The aim of the present paper is to suggest a practical diagnostic algorithm summarizing the main data from the literature. Particular emphasis has been placed on minimum clinical information required and the accurate definition of individual lesions. Diagnostic categories to employ and to avoid in daily practice have furthermore been stressed.

Low- and high-grade non-invasive gastric neoplasia (formerly dysplasia): cytological differentiation (gastro-entero-pancreatic antigens) in association with p53 pattern expression.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to better define the evolutive potentiality of non-invasive neoplasia (formerly dysplasia) a study of the cytological differentiation and of the behavior of p53 in relation to the clinical progress has been performed. METHODOLOGY: Gastro-entero-pancreatic antigens, p53 and Ki-67 expression were evaluated in 120 cases of epithelial gastric dysplasia: 70 cases of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and 50 cases of high-grade dysplasia (HGD). For the cytological study four antigens were studied: two of them gastric (pepsinogen C, gastric foveolar M1), one enteric (CAR-5) and one pancreatic (DU-PAN-2). Routinely processed tissue sections of a colon carcinoma known to contain mutant p53 were used as positive controls for p53 immunohistochemistry. For Ki-67 immunohistochemistry, routinely processed tissue sections of normal lymph node and tonsil were used as staining controls. RESULTS: The study of the coexpression of the gastro-entero-pancreatic antigens showed how all cases of non-invasive neoplasia associated with or progressed to gastric carcinoma (GC) were characterized by entero-pancreatic markers and, in particular, in case of LGD p53 expression positivity was evidenced in 66.6% of cases. Ki-67 hyperproliferation is present in 100% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The cytological study, only if confirmed by wider casuistries, could represent further information in order to better define the follow-up and the therapeutical decisions in case of non-invasive gastric neoplasia therefore, the immunophenotypic study in association with p53 could lead to more personalized therapeutical choices.

[High and low grade gastric epithelial dysplasia: clinical management, endoscopic assessment of p53]. / Displasia epiteliale gastrica a basso e ad alto grado: comportamento clinico, presentazione endoscopicae valutazione della p53.

Epithelial dysplasia is considered the only one true histological marker of gastric cancer. In the present study we have evaluated the real clinical importance of epithelial dysplasia divided into low-grade (70 patients, mean age 59.2 years) and high-grade (50 patients, mean age 58 years) dysplasia. Furthermore, it has been made a comparison with the corresponding endoscopic picture and an evaluation of the real meaning of p53 positivity. The clinical outcome subdivision of epithelial dysplasia was effected according to the criteria of Rugge: association with or progression to gastric cancer, persistence or regression. The endoscopic patterns have been divided into ulcerous lesions and non-ulcerous lesions. The immunohistochemical study has been carried out with the utilization of a p53 antibody (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark). From the analysis of the data it comes out that low-grade dysplasia is associated with or progressed to gastric cancer in a low percentage of cases (about 8.5%), while high-grade dysplasia is associated with or progressed to gastric cancer in a high percentage of cases (about 74%), by this proving itself to be a real histological marker of gastric cancer. The cases of epithelial dysplasia associated with or progressed to gastric cancer are significantly associated with an endoscopic picture of gastric ulcer (ulcer-cancer). Nonetheless, the cases of epithelial dysplasia in correspondence of non-ulcerous lesions have been noticed to be associated with or progressed to advanced gastric cancer. The evaluation of p53 did not positively correlate with the clinical progression of the epithelial dysplasia and with TNM classification in case of gastric cancer. Therefore, the evaluation of p53 does not represent a useful marker in the clinical practice.

Is it possible with an immunophenotypic study to foresee the oncologic risk of epithelial gastric dysplasia?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Epithelial gastric dysplasia is considered the only true marker of gastric cancer. High-grade dysplasia is a surgical therapy needing lesion and low-grade dysplasia is considered a lesion with a low oncologic risk. The aim of this experience was to verify whether there are any immunohistochemical evaluations which may enable one to foresee more precisely the evolution of epithelial gastric dysplasia. METHODOLOGY: Immunophenotypic evaluation was effected in 70 cases of low-grade dysplasia (41 males, average age: 57.4) and in 50 cases of high-grade dysplasia (31 males, average age: 58). These cases were retrospectively selected and the studied samples are represented by gastric biopsies obtained in the course of endoscopy performed for dyspepsia. Epithelial gastric dysplasia diagnosis was done according to Goldstein and Lewin and the clinical subdivision was effected using the criteria of Rugge et al. Four antigens were studied using Abs against pepsinogen C, gastric foveolar M1, intestinal CAR-5 and pancreatic DU-PAN-2 Ags. RESULTS: Epithelial gastric dysplasia is characterized by a progressive reduction of gastric markers with a progressive expression of enteropancreatic antigens. Low-grade dysplasia is characterized by a frequent gastro-enteropancreatic coexpression, and high-grade dysplasia by a frequent enteropancreatic coexpression or by no markers expression. Low-grade dysplasia with greater enteropancreatic markers progresses frequently towards gastric cancer; high-grade dysplasia with enteropancreatic markers only is associated/progresses to gastric cancer, while high-grade dysplasia with gastric markers or gastric-enteropancreatic markers is included in the group with persistent or regressed cases. CONCLUSIONS: If confirmed in further studies, such results could modify the evaluation of epithelial gastric dysplasia, not only in terms of histochemical techniques, but also of immunohistochemical techniques.