1,720,971 research outputs found
Reduced diversity of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements in chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases in dogs.
No full textAbstract
Inflammatory bowel disease has a multifactorial etiology in dogs as it does in humans. Evidence has been accumulated showing an abnormal response of the immune system, mostly represented by lymphocyte infiltration in the lamina propria of the gastrointestinal tract and in the epithelium, likely driven by chronic antigenic stimulation against luminal microorganisms. A relevant role is also ascribed to the genetic predisposition typical of some canine breeds. The role of chronic antigenic stimulation is still under debate. It may be responsible for selective pressure on the lymphoid population, favouring the emergence of some lymphocyte clones. This cross-sectional study is aimed at investigating the immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements in a group of dogs affected by inflammatory bowel disease. The database of a referral Veterinary Laboratory was investigated. Based upon the histological evaluation of the bioptic samples collected during endoscopy, 54 canine cases met the WSAVA criteria for diagnosing IBD and were included in the study. The histological slides were retrieved and the gDNA was purified using protocols for formalin-fixed tissue. The gDNA was PCR amplified using fluorescent-labelled primers specific for canine immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements; the PCR products were analysed with fragment analysis by means of capillary electrophoresis on an automatic sequencer (GeneScanning). In 47/54 (87.3%) cases, it was possible to amplify the gDNA. Twenty-one patients out of 47 (44.7%) showed polyclonal patterns in both the immunoglobulin and the T-cell receptors, 18/47 (38.3%) showed at least one oligoclonal pattern without monoclonal ones while 8/47 (17.0%) cases showed an Ig (7/47; 14.9%) or TCR (1/47: 2.1%) monoclonal pattern. These findings indicate that reduced diversity of the immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor repertoire occurs in canine inflammatory bowel disease. The reduced diversity correlated significantly with the severity of the histological lesions and carried a significantly increased risk of death. Beside its possible role as a reliable ancillary assay, immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor GeneScanning analysis points to the possible role of aberrant chronic antigenic stimulation, leading to clonal expansion of certain lymphocyte subsets in the pathogenesis of canine IBD
Retrospective monitoring of minimal residual disease using hairpin-shaped clone specific primers in B-cell lymphoma affected dogs.
No full textLymphoma is one of the most common forms of cancer in dogs as it is in humans but, unlike humans, the cure rates in canines are still very low. Despite the fact that high grade B-cell lymphomas are considered to be chemotherapy responsive, almost all treated dogs ultimately relapse and die due to the residual malignant lymphocytes, namely minimal residual disease (MRD). It would be extremely valuable for clinicians to detect, monitor and quantify MRD for risk group stratification, effective treatment intervention and outcome prediction. The PCRs targeting the Ig gene rearrangements constitute one of the most reliable tools to this end. We have recently validated a method which exploits hairpin-shaped primers for quantifying MRD. In the present study, that method is conveniently used for retrospectively monitoring MRD in the peripheral blood of 8 dogs diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma who underwent chemotherapy. All dogs attained complete remission. The median disease-free interval was 254.5 days (range 63-774) while the median survival time was 313.5 days (range 143-817 days). At admission, all dogs, except one which had already been treated with prednisone, had circulating neoplastic cells. All dogs attained complete remission (CR) which was almost always matched with a complete MRD response. The persistence of MRD despite apparent CR indicated a worse prognosis and a short duration of CR. Finally, the relapse is consistently anticipated by the reappearance of MRD in the peripheral blood. The study confirmed the suitability of an MRD monitoring assay as a clinical decision-making tool
Toxoplasmosi biliare in un gatto
No full textToxoplasma gondii può provocare nel gatto una malattia multisistemica coinvolgente fegato, polmoni, sistema nervoso centrale e altri organi. Nel fegato si osserva generalmente una epatite necrotizzante multifocale a possibile estensione panlobulare, con evidenza istologica di tachizoiti liberi e/o di cisti contenenti bradizoiti nel contesto dei focolai necrotici. Molto più raramente la toxoplasmosi si esprime con una colangite, che nel gatto è solitamente causata da germi di provenienza intestinale.
Si presenta un caso di colangite/colangioepatite in un giovane gatto con ittero, vomito e diarrea, in cui l’esame citologico del fegato ha evidenziato molteplici stadi maturativi protozoari nel citoplasma delle cellule delle vie biliari. Sulla base delle caratteristiche istologiche e citologiche e di approfondimenti ultrastrutturali e molecolari, i microrganismi sono stati identificati come appartenenti alla specie Toxoplasma gondii
KIT receptor dyregulations in feline mast cell tumours and systemic mastocytosis
No full textIntroduction: Feline mast cell tumours (FeMCTs), overall Accounting for 1e9% of feline neoplasms, are characterized by a highly variable biological behaviour. Frequent post- surgical recurrence, de-novo development of multiple tumours and concurrent visceral and cutaneous involvement justify uncertainty in differentiating benign from malignant forms, with tendency to systemic spread.
Materials and Methods: A series of FeMCTs with variable clinical presentation were examined by histology (cell morphology, differentiation, growth pattern, mitotic activity), CD117 immunohistochemistry and c-Kit mutation analysis (exons 8, 9 and 11). Data were correlated with clinical records (clinical signs, TNM stage, haematological
abnormalities and 2-year follow-up) to assess their prognostic significance.
Results: Twenty cats with 10 solitary cutaneous, five multiple cutaneous and five systemic MCTs were included; nine cats were still alive at the end of the follow-up period. Overall, 29 tumour samples were examined. There were 21 well-differentiated, three pleomorphic and five atypical FeMCTs; mean mitotic activity was 9/10 high power
fields. Low to high CD117 expression was observed in 18 cases. Further c-Kit mutations, beside those previously described in FeMCT, were found.
Conclusions: This study investigated the effects of c-Kit dysregulation on FeMCT biological behaviour and also potentially allowed the identification of those patients that may benefit from molecular targeted therapies
Hyperplastic cholangitis in a naturally Toxoplasma gondii-infected cat.
Full text linkToxoplasma gondii can cause in cats a multisystemic disease involving the liver, lungs, central nervous system and other organs. The liver generally shows multifocal necrotizing hepatitis with possible panlobular extension, with histological evidence of free tachyzoites and/or cysts containing bradyzoites within necrotic foci. Very rarely, toxoplasmosis is expressed by cholangitis, the latter being much more frequently caused in cats by bacteria of intestinal origin.
We report here a case of cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis in a young cat, where cytology of the liver showed multiple maturational stages of protozoa in the cytoplasm of cells of the bile ducts. On the basis of the cytological, histological, ultrastructural and molecular details, the microorganisms were identified as belonging to the species Toxoplasma gondii
Severe tapeworm infestation associated with histopathological lesions in a purple-throated carib (Eulampis jugularis)
No full textThe Purple-throated Carib (Eulampis jugularis) is an endemic hummingbird of the Lesser Antilles. Very few data are available on diseases of this bird. A wild-caught female Purple-throated Carib, kept in an Italian scientific center, was presented for necropsy after death. Although gross lesions were not observed, a large number of tapeworms showing an unarmed scolex was evidenced in the small intestine. Histologically, this severe tapeworm infestation was associated with severe mucosal hyperplasia, submucosal gland proliferation and severe lymphoid follicular hyperplasia, especially in the duodenum. Consequent to the strong thickening of the intestinal mucosa, areas of intestinal sub-obstruction, where the hyperplastic mucosa filled the entire duodenal cross-section, were evidenced. Based on parasite and egg morphology and PCR analysis, the isolated unarmed tapeworm species was identified as belonging to the family Hymenolepididae. Although tapeworm infestations have been reported in hummingbirds (Widmer et al., 2013), no data of prevalence of infestation in captive breed or wild birds are available and no associated lesions have been described in previous studies in this or in other species. This report is the first description of pathological lesions inducing death, caused by tapeworms, in an Hummingbird
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Frequency of the allelic variant of the PTPLA gene responsible for centronuclear myopathy in Labrador Retriever dogs as assessed in Italy.
No full textCentronuclear myopathy (CNM) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease affecting Labrador Retriever dogs. The disease is characterized by muscle lesions, typically encompassing reduction in the number and atrophy of type II fibers, and is caused by a short interspersed repeat element insertion in exon 2 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like member A. The actual allele frequency is unknown; a study was undertaken to ascertain it using a convenience-sample population composed of 217 Labrador Retrievers. In addition to 3 subjects already diagnosed with CNM, used as positive controls for polymerase chain reaction, only 2 unrelated dogs were heterozygous wild-type/mutation (wild-type/mut). Thus, the frequency of the CNM allele observed in the present study was 1.8% and 0.47% when including and excluding the 3 mut/mut homozygous cases, respectively. Based on the Hardy-Weinberg exact test (P  =  1.00), the genotype frequency without the CNM-affected dogs was in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Assuming the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law, the expected frequency of the homozygous mutated genotype was calculated to be approximately 0.00005, which corresponds to 1 case of CNM out of 20,000 dogs. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the CNM allele is present but rare in a convenience sample of Labrador Retrievers in Italy
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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