Intestinal injury and vasculitis biomarkers in cats with feline enteric coronavirus and effusive feline infectious peritonitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate intestinal injury, repair and vasculitis biomarkers that may illuminate the progression and/or pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) or feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 cats with effusive FIP (30 with abdominal effusion, AE group; 10 with thoracic effusion, TE group) and 10 asymptomatic but FECV positive cats (FECV group), all were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction either in faeces or effusion samples. Physical examinations and effusion tests were performed. Trefoil factor-3 (TFF-3), intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) and proteinase 3-ANCA (PR3-ANCA) concentrations were measured both in serum and effusion samples. RESULTS: Rectal temperature and respiratory rate were highest in the TE group (p < 0.000). Effusion white blood cell count was higher in the AE group than TE group (p < 0.042). Serum TFF-3, IAP and I-FABP concentrations were higher in cats with effusive FIP than the cats with FECV (p < 0.05). Compared with the AE group, TE group had lower effusion MPO-ANCA (p < 0.036), higher IAP (p < 0.050) and higher TFF-3 (p < 0.016) concentrations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Markers of intestinal and epithelial surface injury were higher in cats with effusive FIP than those with FECV. Compared to cats with abdominal effusions, markers of apoptosis inhibition and immunostimulation to the injured epithelium were more potent in cats with thoracic effusion, suggesting the possibility of a poorer prognosis or more advanced disease in these patients.

Serum/Faecal S100A12, CRP and lactoferrin can be used to distinguish infectious and non-infectious canine diarrhoea.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacies of selected inflammatory and intestinal biomarkers in cases of infectious and non-infectious diarrhoea in dogs. METHODS: A total of 60 dogs, 12 healthy (Control Group) and 48 with diarrhoea were used. Viral, Bacterial, Parasitic (infectious) and Nutritional diarrhoea (non-infectious) subgroups (n: 12) were formed according to the aetiology, on the basis of clinical and laboratory examinations. Selected inflammatory and intestinal biomarkers (Calgranulin, S100A12; Lactoferrin, LCTF; C-reactive protein, CRP) were measured both in serum and faecal samples. RESULTS: Compared to the Control and Nutritional Diarrhoea groups, the infectious diarrhoea groups had higher serum S100A12, LCTF, CRP, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (CR), alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, and lower glucose (GLU), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations (p < 0.05); Viral and Parasitic Diarrhoea groups had lower serum albumin (ALB) and total protein (TP) concentrations (p < 0.05). Faecal S100A12, LCTF and CRP concentrations were higher in infectious diarrhoea groups compared to the Control and Nutritional Diarrhoea groups (p < 0.05). Faecal LCTF and CRP concentrations were higher in the Bacterial Diarrhoea group than in the Viral and Parasitic Diarrhoea groups (p < 0.05). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It was determined that serum (area under curve, AUC: 0.842 and 0.956) and faecal (AUC: 0.975 and 0.786) S100A12 and CRP concentrations in viral diarrhoea; serum (AUC: 0.956) and faecal (AUC: 0.992) LCTF concentrations in bacterial diarrhoea have diagnostic values in the diagnosis of the presence of intestinal inflammation and damage and can be used in the differential diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diarrhoea.

Investigation of gastrointestinal injury-related biomarkers in dairy cattle with displaced abomasum.

BACKGROUND: Displaced abomasum (DA) is one of the most important metabolic disorders of dairy cattle. In DA, ischaemic damage may occur as a result of impaired perfusion due to abomasal displacement, which may result in gastrointestinal mucosal damage. OBJECTIVE: Investigation of gastrointestinal tissue damage in cattle with right displacement of the abomasum (RDA) and left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) using intestinal-related biomarkers. METHODS: Forty-eight DA (24 LDA, 24 RDA) and 15 healthy Holstein dairy cows were enrolled between March 2021 and July 2022. Serum biomarkers including gamma-enteric smooth muscle actin (ACTG-2), liver-fatty acid binding proteins (L-FABP), platelet activating factor (PAF), trefoil factor-3 (TFF-3), leptin, claudin-3 and interleukin-8 (IL-8) concentrations were measured from venous blood samples. RESULTS: L-FABP concentrations in the LDA group and TFF-3 concentrations in the RDA group were lower than in the control group. The leptin concentration of the RDA group was higher than that of the other groups. There was a negative correlation between lactate, leptin and IL-8 concentrations. There was a negative correlation between lactate and TFF-3, whereas leptin and lactate were positively correlated. Leptin was the more reliable biomarker for discriminating between RDA and LDA cases. CONCLUSION: Changes in serum L-FABP, TFF-3 and leptin concentrations in cattle with DA may reflect acute intestinal injury and the subsequent repair phase. However, these biomarkers had poor diagnostic performance in discriminating between healthy and cattle with DA, while leptin emerged as the most useful marker in differentiating LDA from RDA cases.

Efficacy of ultrasonographic caudal vena cava to aorta ratios for quantifying canine parvoviral enteritis rehydration.

Quantifying changes in intravascular fluid volume is important for treatment planning and follow-up assessment in dogs with dehydration. Recently, it has been reported that current standard methods used to estimate intravascular fluid volume in dogs are inadequate, invasive, or have complications such as thrombosis. The ultrasonographic ratio of dimensions for the caudal vena cava relative to the aorta (CVC/Ao) has been previously described as a promising, noninvasive method for quantifying changes in blood volume in dogs. This prospective observational study aimed to describe ultrasonographic CVC/Ao values before and after fluid replacement in a sample of dogs with varying degrees of dehydration due to naturally-occurring canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE), test correlations between this measure and clinical dehydration scores and determine the clinical efficacy of this measure for fluid therapy follow-up. The clinical dehydration score of 30 dogs naturally infected with canine parvovirus was determined at the first admission using standard clinical scoring methods, and then CVC/Ao was measured ultrasonographically. Following initial fluid therapy, the clinical dehydration scores and ultrasonographic CVC/Ao values were remeasured. On the basis of receiver operating characteristic analyses, ultrasonographic CVC/Ao was found to be a more sensitive and specific indicator than physical examination-based methods for estimating intravascular fluid alterations in dogs with dehydration due to parvovirus and rehydration following fluid therapy. Findings supported the use of this measure for treatment planning and follow-up in future dogs presenting with dehydration.

Comparative evaluation of selected serum and urine biomarkers in cats with interstitial and bacterial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Although feline urine is increasingly submitted for bacterial culture and susceptibility testing in veterinary practice, bacterial cystitis (BC) is relatively uncommon compared with feline interstitial cystitis (FIC), which shares similar clinical manifestations. Therefore, an investigation of certain urothelial (glycosaminoglycan [GAG], tissue inhibition metalloproteinase-2 [TIMP-2]), cytokine (interleukin 12 [IL-12]), and neurotrophic factor (nerve growth factor [NGF]) markers may aid diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of selected serum/urine biomarkers in the diagnosis of cats with FIC and BC. METHODS: Twelve healthy cats (Control group) and 24 cats with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) were used, and the cats with FLUTD were divided into FIC and BC groups. RESULTS: When comparing the three groups, serum GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were highest in the FIC group; urine GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were higher in the FIC and BC groups than those in the Control group. Serum NGF concentrations were higher in the FIC group than in all other groups. Also, serum GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were found to be effective in the differential diagnosis of FIC vs BC. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that serum NGF is a candidate biomarker that could be used in the diagnosis and differentiation of FIC. Urine GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations might be helpful in determining urinary bladder inflammation and/or damage in cats with FIC and BC. ROC analyses revealed that serum and urine biomarkers were effective for diagnosing FIC and that serum biomarkers rather than urine biomarkers were effective for the differential diagnosis of FIC and feline BC.

Comparison of some cytokines, acute phase proteins and citrulline levels in healthy and canine distemper infected dogs.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is the etiological agent of severe disease in domestic and wild carnivores. Clinical diagnosis of CDV is challenging because of its similarity to other canine respiratory and intestinal diseases. We aimed to determine certain cytokine (interleukin [IL]-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]), interferon (IFN)-γ, canine serum amyloid A (SAA), and canine citrulline (CIT) levels for the first time in CDV-positive dogs. For this purpose, 10 CDV-positive dogs with compatible clinical findings (i.e., neurological symptoms such as tremors and myoclonus, ocular and nasal discharge, and wheezing) and 10 healthy dogs based on the clinical examinations and rapid test results were enrolled. It was observed that the CIT, INF-γ, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were significantly decreased in the CDV-positive dogs than that of the healthy ones (P<0.05). As a result, it was observed that CDV causes immunosuppression and accordingly, the inflammatory response might cause decreased cytokine and acute-phase protein synthesis. Therefore, it was concluded that further investigation of inflammatory pathways and CIT interactions may provide crucial clinical information at different stages of CDV, and aforementioned parameters may serve as important biomarkers for CDV in terms of demonstrating the presence of immunosuppression.

Diagnostic effectiveness of stress biomarkers in cats with feline interstitial and bacterial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Although bacterial cystitis (BC) and feline interstitial cystitis (FIC) are categorized under feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) due to their similar clinical manifestations, stress is an important factor for FIC. Therefore, the investigation of stress biomarkers might be important in the differentiation and elucidation of these conditions. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of serum and urine cortisol, serotonin, and dopamine concentrations and their relationship with stress in cats with FIC and BC. METHODS: Twelve healthy cats (Control group) and 24 cats with FLUTD were used. The cats with FLUTD were divided into FIC and BC groups. RESULTS: Multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) scores were found to be higher in the FIC group than in the BC and Control groups (P < .001). Urine serotonin concentrations were higher in cats with FIC and BC compared with those in the Control group. Based on ROC analyses, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of urine serotonin and dopamine were found to be statistically significant in being able to differentially diagnose cats in the FIC group vs the Control group. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of serum dopamine were also found to be statistically significant for the differential diagnosis of FIC and BC. CONCLUSIONS: High urine serotonin concentrations were found in cats with FLUTD compared with healthy controls and interpreted as the presence of stress not only in cats with FIC but also in cats with BC. Also, based on the ROC-based diagnostic performance evaluation of these stress biomarkers, urine serotonin, and dopamine concentrations can be used to diagnose FIC, and serum dopamine concentrations can be used to differentiate FIC and BC in cats.

Evaluation of cardiovascular injury in dogs coinfected with visceral leishmaniasis and monocytic ehrlichiosis by echocardiographic examination and selected biomarker measurements.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) and Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (ME), which are an important zoonotic diseases of dogs, causing multiple organ dysfunction and has a poor prognosis when not interfered. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the cardiovascular injury that develops in dogs that co­infected with VL and ME with cardiovascular biomarkers and echocardiographic parameters. The animal material of this study was consisted of 14 owned dogs in total; 7 diseased dogs which were determined to be co­infected with VL and ME according to the results of clinical examination and rapid test kits, and 7 healthy dogs, which were determined to be healthy as a result of the same examinations. As a result of echocardiographic examinations, decreased left ventricular cytolic and diastolic diameters (LVIDs, LVIDd), fractional shortening (FS) and increased ratio of left atrium to left aortic root diameter (LA/Ao) values were determined in the Co­infected Group compared with the Healthy Group. Also, as a result of biomarker analysis, higher cTnI) D­dimer and NT­proBNP levels were detected in the Co­infected Group. In conclusion, considering studies of dogs infected with VL and/or ME alone, it was concluded that similar cardiovascular injury develops in dogs co­infected with VL and ME.

Syrup Hedera helix Extract Poisoning in Dog: a Clinical Report / Intoxicación con jarabe de extracto de Hedera helix en perros: informe clínico

Abstract This clinical report describes a 1-year-old Golden Retriever dog weighing 24 kg that developed gastroenteritis as a result of the unprescribed and random use of a syrup Hedera helix extract, which is for human use only. Diagnosis was made after ruling out other factors that could cause gastroenteritis. An improvement in clinical findings was observed as a result of supportive treatment. It is already widely recognized that triterpene saponins, biological active compounds of Hedera helix, cause gastroenteritis in dogs and it is considered that unprescribed and random use of syrup Hedera helix at high doses, may cause severe gastroenteritis symptoms that will endanger life. It is concluded that successful management of Hedera helix extract poisoning depends on a good anamnesis, physical exams, and laboratory tests, rapidly ruling out other causes of gastroenteritis, quitting the use of syrup immediately and a supportive treatment.

Resumen En este informe clínico, se describe un cuadro de gastroenteritis desarrollada por un Golden Retriever de 1 año de edad que pesaba 24 kg, como resultado del uso aleatorio y sin receta de un extracto de jarabe de Hedera helix, que es solo para uso por humano. El diagnóstico se realizó después de que se descartados otros factores que podrían causar gastroenteritis. Se observó una mejora en los hallazgos clínicos como resultado del tratamiento de apoyo. Ya se ha reconocido ampliamente que las saponinas triterpénicas, que son compuestos biológicos activos de Hedera helix, causan gastroenteritis en perros y se considera que el uso aleatorio y sin receta de jarabe de extracto de Hedera helix en dosis altas puede provocar síntomas de gastroenteritis más graves que pondrán en peligro la vida. Se concluyó que el manejo exitoso de la intoxicación por Hedera helix depende de una buena anamnesis, exámenes físicos y de laboratorio, descartar rápidamente las otras causas de gastroenteritis, dejar inmediatamente el jarabe y tratamiento de apoyo.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolome profile evaluation in dairy cows with and without displaced abomasum.

Background: Displaced abomasum (DA) is a condition of dairy cows that severely impacts animal welfare and causes huge economic losses.Objective: To assess the metabolic status of the disease using metabolomics in serum, urine and liver samples aimed at both water soluble and lipid soluble fractions.Methods: Fifty Holstein multiparous cows with DA (42 left, 8 right) and 20 clinically healthy Holstein multiparous cows were used. Left DA was associated with concomitant ketosis in 19 animals and right in two. NMR-based metabolomics approach and hematological and biochemical analyses were performed. Statistical analysis was carried out on 1H-NMR data after they have been normalized using PQN method.Results: Contrary to generated PCA score plots the OPLS-supervised method revealed differences between healthy animals and diseased ones based on serum water-soluble samples. While water and lipid soluble metabolites decreased in serum samples, fatty acid fractions and cholesterol were increased in liver samples in DA affected cows. The metabolomic and chemical profiles clearly revealed that cows with DA (especially with LDA) were at risk of ketosis and fatty liver. Serum hippuric acid concentration was significantly higher in healthy cows in comparison with LDA, whereas serum glycine concentration was reported higher for healthy when compared to RDA affected animals.Conclusion: A biochemical network and pathway mapping revealed 'valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis' and 'phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis' as the most probable altered metabolic pathway in DA condition. Serum was advocated as the optimal biological matrix for the 1H-NMR analysis.

Evaluation of Intestinal Damage Biomarkers in Calves with Atresia Coli.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal obstruction such as atresia coli causes pathophysiological changes in gastrointestinal tissue due to the rise of intra-abdominal pressure. The aim of this study is to determine the intestinal damage with intestinal biomarkers in calves with atresia coli. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 40 Holstein calves diagnosed with atresia coli with mild to moderate abdominal distention and 10 healthy Holstein calves which served as the control. Blood samples were collected from all calves, and then serum concentrations of intestinal biomarkers were estimated, namely intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP), liver fatty acid binding protein (LFABP), trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), using commercially available specific bovine ELISA kits. An automatic blood gas analyser was employed for determining the lactate concentration. RESULTS: The concentrations of serum LFABP (P < 0.01), IFABP, TFF3, IAP, and blood lactate (P < 0.001) were significantly higher in calves with atresia coli than in healthy calves. CONCLUSION: The calves affected with atresia coli exhibited severe intestinal damage, and IFABP, LFABP, and TFF3 have significant diagnostic importance and play a useful role in determining the intestinal damage due to intestinal obstruction. High levels of IAP and lactate may serve as a signal for the development of intestinal injury.

Effects of Boron Supplementation on Peripartum Dairy Cows' Health.

Although many different dietary studies on the prevention of negative energy balance related diseases are often encountered, this is the first study investigating the effects of boron supplementation on peripartum dairy cows' health in the light of an omics approach. Twenty-eight healthy cows (1 control and 3 experimental groups) were enrolled from 2 months before predicted calving until 2 months after calving. Experimental groups were assigned to receive boron at increasing doses as an oral bolus. Production parameters, biochemical profile, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance based metabolomics profile, and mRNA abundance of gluconeogenic enzymes and lipid oxidation genes were determined. Pivotal knowledge was obtained on boron distribution in the body. Production parameters and mRNA abundance of the genes were not affected by the treatments. Postpartum nonesterified fatty acids, ß-hydroxybutyrate, and triglyceride concentrations were significantly decreased in experimentals. The primary differences among groups were in lipid-soluble metabolites. There were significant differences in metabolites including postpartum valine, ß-hydroxybutyrate, polyunsaturated fatty acid and citrate, propionate, isobutyrate, choline metabolites (betaine, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin), and some types of fatty acids and cholesterol in experimentals. Boron appears to be effective in minimizing negative energy balance and improving health of postpartum dairy cows.