Subject(s)
Cat Diseases/diagnosis , Oral Hemorrhage/veterinary , Oral Ulcer/veterinary , Palate/pathology , Animals , Cat Diseases/etiology , Cat Diseases/surgery , Cats , Electrocoagulation/veterinary , Female , Oral Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Oral Hemorrhage/etiology , Oral Ulcer/surgery , Palate/surgery , Prednisolone/therapeutic use , Pruritus/drug therapy , Pruritus/veterinaryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical utility of serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein and microalbuminuria as disease activity markers in canine idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: Dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease for which no underlying cause could be identified were considered to have idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease and were included in the study. Serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha was assessed using a canine-specific ELISA, C-reactive protein by immunoturbidometric assay and quantitative microalbuminuria was analysed using a monoclonal antibody directed against canine albumin. The canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index and histopathologic grade were used to assess disease severity; biologic markers were then compared with the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index and histopathologic grade. RESULTS: Sixteen dogs were included in the study. C-reactive protein level was mildly elevated in 15 dogs. Microalbuminuria was elevated in two of 15 dogs, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha was not detected in any dog tested. No correlation was found between the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index and C-reactive protein or microalbuminuria or between histopathologic grade and C-reactive protein or microalbuminuria. There was no correlation between histopathologic grade and the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Although only a small number of dogs were evaluated, this study does not support the use of serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha measured by canine-specific ELISA or microalbuminuria in the evaluation of disease activity in dogs with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease. Although mildly elevated in most dogs, C-reactive protein did not reflect disease severity as assessed by the canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index or histopathologic grade.
Subject(s)
Albuminuria/veterinary , Dog Diseases/blood , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/veterinary , Animals , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers/urine , C-Reactive Protein/metabolism , Dog Diseases/pathology , Dog Diseases/urine , Dogs , Female , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/blood , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/pathology , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/urine , Male , Predictive Value of Tests , Severity of Illness Index , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/analysis , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/bloodABSTRACT
As an alternative to the practice of obtaining repeated laboratory cultures for patients at high risk of renal impairment from recurrent UTI, a program of bone monitoring using a mail-in culture dipspoon was started. A study involving 454 children with neurogenic bladder or other urologic abnormalities showed (1) that the incidence of UTI infection in patients for whom long term antimicrobial therapy had been prescribed was not significantly lower than that in patients who were not on antimicrobials and (2) that at least 50% of dipspoons inoculated due to presentation of UTI symptoms showed no or insignificant growth. These findings suggest that need for further assessment of the efficacy of long term prophylactic antimicrobials in preventing recurrent UTI and the advisability of obtaining a urine culture result before initiating treatment when symptoms are not severe.
