A case report of the beneficial effect of oclacitinib in a dog with pemphigus vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare immune-mediated skin disorder of the dog, usually treated with immunosuppressive medications such as oral glucocorticoids, azathioprine or ciclosporin. Herein we report the successful treatment of pemphigus vulgaris in a dog, using oclacitinib and a topical product containing fucidic acid (0.5 % w/w) and betamethasone valerate.

Le pemphigus vulgaire est une affection cutanée rare à médiation immune chez le chien, généralement traitée avec des médicaments immunosuppresseurs tels que les glucocorticoïdes oraux, l'azathioprine ou la ciclosporine. Nous décrivons ici le traitement efficace du pemphigus vulgaire chez un chien, à l'aide d'oclacitinib et d'un produit topique contenant de l'acide fucidique (0,5 % p/p) et du valérate de bétaméthasone.

O pênfigo vulgar é uma dermatopatia imunomediada dos cães, que é usualmente tratada com medicações imunossupressoras como corticoides por via oral, azatioprina ou ciclosporina. No presente estudo, relatamos o tratamento de bem sucedido de penfigp vulgaris em um cão, utilizando o oclacitinib e um produto tópico contendo ácido fusídico (0,5 % w/w) e valerato de betametasona.

El pénfigo vulgar es un trastorno inmunomediado cutáneo poco frecuente en perros, generalmente tratado con medicamentos inmunosupresores como glucocorticoides orales, azatioprina o ciclosporina. En este artículo describimos el tratamiento exitoso de pénfigo vulgar en un perro utilizando oclacitinib y un producto tópico que contiene ácido fucídico (0,5 % p/p) y valerato de betametasona.

QIAGEN Therascreen KRAS RGQ Assay, QIAGEN KRAS Pyro Assay, and Dideoxy Sequencing for Clinical Laboratory Analysis of KRAS Mutations in Tumor Specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of assays used to assess KRAS mutations in tumor specimens. METHODS: We analyzed DNA extracted from 30 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens using the QIAGEN Therascreen KRAS RGQ and QIAGEN Pyro reagents, with dideoxy sequencing (colloquially considered to be the gold standard) as the reference method. RESULTS: We detected 22 codon 12 or 13 KRAS mutations using the Pyro assay, whereas the RGQ assay detected 19 mutations. For mutation detection, the clinical sensitivity was 86% for the RGQ assay compared with 100% for the Pyro but 100% for the KRAS mutations that the RGQ was predesigned to detect. The Pyro could detect rare mutations. The RGQ demonstrated a lower limit of detection compared with the Pyro; However, the Pyro required less DNA input than the RGQ. CONCLUSION: The 2 assays that we tested yielded comparable performance in detecting KRAS mutations, as we had expected based on assay design. Overall, the Pyro assay detects more mutations and requires less DNA input but is less analytically sensitive, compared with the RGQ assay.

Comparison study of the performance of the QIAGEN EGFR RGQ and EGFR pyro assays for mutation analysis in non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To compare 2 laboratory assays commonly used in the evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Fifty-three formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded NSCLC specimens were selected. Extracted DNA was analyzed using the EGFR RGQ Amplification Refractory Mutation System Scorpions probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and the EGFR Pyro pyrosequencing assay. RESULTS: Fourteen EGFR mutations were identified in 13 specimens using at least 1 of the assays, with a mutation concordance rate of 92.9%. Using dideoxy sequencing as the gold standard, clinical sensitivity was 73.7% and 68.4% by the RGQ and Pyro assays, respectively, but 100% by both for common drug sensitivity mutations. Performance observations included the following: the RGQ system requires higher DNA input, the RGQ system is a single-step procedure, the EGFR Pyro assay is a 2-step procedure, only the RGQ system can identify exon 20 insertions, the RGQ system is more sensitive, and the Pyro system can specify exact mutations for all interrogated sites. CONCLUSIONS: Both the RGQ real-time PCR and Pyro assays adequately detect common EGFR mutations; however, the RGQ system is more clinically and analytically sensitive. Performance characteristics should be considered when evaluating these EGFR mutation assays for clinical adoption.

Low-grade alimentary lymphoma: clinicopathological findings and response to treatment in 17 cases.

Low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL) was diagnosed by histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of full-thickness biopsies from multiple regions of the gastrointestinal tract collected during exploratory laparotomy in 17 cats. The most common clinical signs were weight loss (n=17) and vomiting and/or diarrhoea (n=15). Clinical signs were chronic in 11 cases. Abdominal palpation was abnormal in 12 cats, including diffuse intestinal thickening (n=8), an abdominal mass due to mesenteric lymph node enlargement (n=5) and a focal mural intestinal mass (n=1). The most common ultrasonographic finding was normal or increased intestinal wall thickness with preservation of layering. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirates of mesenteric lymph nodes (n=9) were incorrectly identified as benign lymphoid hyperplasia in eight cats, in which the histological diagnosis from biopsies was lymphoma. There was neoplastic infiltration of more than one anatomic region of the gastrointestinal tract in 16/17 cats. The jejunum (15/15 cats) and ileum (13/14 cats), followed by the duodenum (10/12 cats), were the most frequently affected sites. Twelve cats were treated with oral prednisolone and high-dose pulse chlorambucil, two with a modified Madison-Wisconsin multiagent protocol and three with a combination of both protocols. Thirteen of the 17 cats (76%) had complete clinical remission with a median remission time of 18.9 months. Cats that achieved complete remission had significantly longer median survival times (19.3 months) than cats that did not achieve complete remission (n=4) (4.1 months; P=0.019). The prognosis for cats with LGAL treated with oral prednisolone in combination with high-dose pulse chlorambucil is good to excellent.