Prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus in cattle farms in Hungary.

A study was performed to survey the virological prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus (BVDV) in cattle herds in Hungary between 2008 and 2012. A total of 40,413 samples for BVDV detection and 24,547 samples for antibody testing were collected from 3,247 herds (570,524 animals), thus representing approximately 75% of the cattle population in Hungary. Retrospective Bayesian analysis demonstrated that (1) the herd-level true virus prevalence was 12.4%, (2) the mean individual (within-herd) true virus prevalence was 7.2% in the herds having at least one virus-positive animal and 0.89% for all investigated herds with a mean apparent prevalence of 1.15% for the same population. This is the first study about BVDV prevalence in Hungary.

Seroprevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus in Hungary - situation before launching an eradication campaign.

Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is a viral disease appearing in various forms and causing high economic losses in the cattle stocks of Hungary. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in Hungary through a monitoring survey carried out on samples collected in cattle-keeping units throughout the country. Since no such survey had been carried out in Hungary during the last thirty years, our study may serve as a basis for later monitoring investigations aimed at following the progress of an expected eradication campaign of BVD. The tests were carried out using an ELISA method, on a total of 1200 blood samples submitted from 54 cattle herds. The herds had not been vaccinated against BVDV before the sampling. Out of the 1200 samples, 521 proved to be positive (43.4%), 40 gave doubtful result (3.3%) and 639 were negative (53.3%). In some stocks the samples were collected from cows having completed several lactation periods, and therefore the seronegativity indicates the BVDV-free status of the given stock. Moreover, among the positive herds we found a few where the seropositivity rate was rather low (< 5%). According to the results of the survey, a rather high portion (about one third) of the cattle-keeping units of Hungary can be regarded as BVDV free, which ratio is much higher than had been expected on the basis of surveys carried out on a lower number of samples and in smaller regions of the country. Hence, the chances of an eradication campaign launched in the near future, or carried out parallel to the IBR eradication programme, are better than previously expected.

A case of cutaneous angiolipoleiomyoma (angiomyolipoma) in a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

We report a case of cutaneous angiolipoleiomyoma (angiomyolipoma) found on the anterior wall of the ventral part of the abdomen of a three-year-old female budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). Histologic examination of the well-circumscribed, surgically removed tumour (1.5 cm in diameter) showed a benign admixed proliferation of blood vessels of different size, smooth muscle bundles, and mature adipose tissue, without evidence of malignancy. Endothelial cells of the haemangioma component were positive for claudin-5 endothelium-specific immunohistochemical marker, and the leiomyoma component was positive for α-smooth muscle actin. The differentiated lipocytes showed S-100 protein positivity. The Ki-67 labelling index was 2 to 3%. The mesenchymal tumour was negative for HMB45 melanocytic immunhistochemical marker. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing a cutaneous angiolipoleiomyoma in a budgerigar with histological and immunohistochemical analyses.

Immunohistochemical detection of arteriolar hyperplasia in canine liver biopsy samples using the claudin-5 antibody.

Claudins are key tight junctional proteins between adjacent epithelial, mesothelial or endothelial cells, which are responsible for the permeability of the paracellular space. This paper describes that the endothelial cells of normal hepatic arterioles, portal venules and portal lymphatics as well as the endothelium of sinusoids from dogs show strong membranous claudin-5 cross-reactivity. In 25 liver biopsy samples taken from dogs with portal vein hypoperfusion, an increased number of arterioles was detected in the portal areas (PAs) by the use of humanised anti-claudin-5 antibody. The increased number of hyperplastic hepatic arterioles per PA was 5-6, 8-12 and 15-20 in the case of small, medium-sized and large PAs, respectively. It is suggested that the claudin-5 marker can improve the detection of hepatic arteriolar proliferation in the PAs of liver samples.

Expression of the claudin-4 molecule in benign and malignant canine hepatoid gland tumours.

Claudins are integral membrane proteins of the tight junction structures expressed by epithelial and endothelial cells. The present study has evaluated the expression of claudin-4 in 10 normal canine hepatoid glands and in 67 hepatoid glands with hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions. The lesions studied included normal hepatoid glands (n = 10), nodular hyperplasias (n = 10), adenomas (n = 12), epitheliomas (n = 15), differentiated carcinomas (n = 15) and anaplastic carcinomas (n = 15). There was an intensive expression of claudin-4 in normal canine hepatoid glands as well as in hyperplasias and adenomas. Claudin-4 was detected as a well-localised linear circumferential membranous staining pattern of epithelial cells (mature hepatoid cells) in normal hepatoid glands, perianal gland hyperplasias and adenomas. In nodular hyperplasia and adenoma, the reserve cells showed membrane positivity for the claudin-4 molecule. There was a weaker expression in hepatoid gland epitheliomas. In the epitheliomas, the basaloid reserve cells never expressed the claudin-4 molecule. The multiple small parts of epitheliomas in which the cells exhibited typical hepatoid features showed a well-localised linear circumferential membranous staining pattern for claudin-4. The numerical score for cellular expression of claudin-4 was higher in differentiated carcinomas than in epitheliomas, but moderately lower than in adenomas. The anaplastic, poorly differentiated hepatoid gland carcinomas showed an overexpression of claudin-4. These results suggest that low claudin-4 expression in epitheliomas is a molecular characteristic indicative of increasing cellular disorientation, detachment motility and invasion by tumour cells, and claudin-4 seems to be helpful in distinguishing undifferentiated carcinomas from differentiated carcinomas and epitheliomas of the hepatoid gland. In addition, claudin-4 can help distinguish epithelioma from differentiated carcinoma of the canine hepatoid gland.