Veterinary clinical pathology最新文献

Background: Dirofilariosis, a zoonotic disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, is associated with cardiovascular damage and systemic inflammation in dogs.

Objectives: This study aimed to present preliminary data on the evaluation of serum haptoglobin (Hp) concentration as a potential biomarker of inflammation in dogs naturally infected with D. immitis, with and without microfilaremia.

Methods: Thirty dogs were categorized into three groups: microfilaremic seropositives (G1, n = 10), amicrofilaremic seropositives (G2, n = 10), and negative controls (CG, n = 10). Serum Hp concentrations were measured using a colorimetric assay and analyzed via one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-test.

Results: Median Hp levels were 10.0 mg/dL (G1), 9.1 mg/dL (G2), and 13.7 mg/dL (CG), with no significant differences among groups. Additionally, no significant correlation was found between microfilarial burden and Hp levels (p = 0.651).

Conclusions: Despite D. immitis infection, Hp concentration did not provide evidence of an inflammatory response in G1 and G2. While previous studies reported decreased Hp in microfilaremic dogs, our findings did not confirm this trend. The seropositive dogs in this study did not show clinical signs, indicating they had relatively mild infections, which may at least in part explain these results. The small sample size and lack of other acute-phase protein assessments restrict the generalizability of our findings and, thus, this study provides limited information about acute phase response dynamics. Nevertheless, these preliminary results highlight the complexity of Hp behavior in D. immitis infection and emphasize the need for further research.

In dogs, the WDF and WNR scattergrams from the Sysmex XN-1000V enable a highly presumptive interpretation of mastocytemia. This is the first description of abnormal circulating mast cells using the Sysmex XN-1000V, which appears to function similarly to the previous analyzer, the Sysmex XT-2000iV.

Background: The periparturient period in dairy cows is marked by negative energy balance (NEB), resulting in metabolic stress and an increased risk of postpartum diseases. Accurate assessment of NEB through blood β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) levels is essential for effective herd management. Point-of-care (POC) devices, such as the CentriVet blood ketone monitoring system, offer a practical alternative to laboratory methods for measuring β-OHB.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and analytical performance of the CentriVet blood ketone monitoring system compared to a laboratory reference method for measuring blood β-OHB concentration in postpartum dairy cattle.

Methods: A total of 105 postpartum dairy cows from two farms were included. Blood samples were analyzed for β-OHB using both CentriVet and a reference enzymatic method. Passing-Bablok regression, Bland-Altman plots, and kappa statistics were used to assess agreement. Diagnostic accuracy metrics (sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy) were calculated at a cut-off value of ≥ 1.2 mmol/L. An optimized cut-off value was determined via ROC curve analysis.

Results: CentriVet demonstrated a moderate correlation with the reference method (Spearman's r = 0.701, p < 0.001). Passing-Bablok regression revealed proportional bias, and Bland-Altman analysis indicated a mean bias of -0.4 mmol/L. Diagnostic metrics at ≥ 1.2 mmol/L showed 100% sensitivity, 68.09% specificity, and 71.4% accuracy. ROC analysis yielded an optimized cut-off of > 1.5 mmol/L, improving specificity (95.7%) but reducing sensitivity (81.8%).

Conclusions: While CentriVet offers practical benefits, its diagnostic performance is limited for accurately identifying hyperketonemia in postpartum dairy cattle.

Background: Assessment of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in cytologic smears is used as a phenotyping tool for hematopoietic and solid tissue neoplasms in dogs. Different procedures that vary in substrate-dye combinations, fixative, incubation times, and nuclear counterstains are available for detection of ALP activity. It is unknown if these procedures provide comparable results for phenotyping tumors in the same animal.

Objective: To compare results obtained with three ALP cytochemical procedures in blasts in blood and tissue aspirate smears from dogs with previously diagnosed leukemia: naphthol-AS-MX phosphate/fast blue (fast blue), 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoxyl-phosphate/nitroblue tetrazolium (BCIP/NBT), and naphthol-AS-BI-phosphate/fast red violet LB (fast red).

Methods: Smears of blood, bone marrow, and lymph node from 54 dogs prospectively enrolled in a multi-institutional study on acute leukemia were stained and assessed. One observer counted the percentage of positive blasts and quantified staining intensity on a scale of 1-3. Cases were classified as acute myeloid leukemia, lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma, acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage, or acute lineage-negative leukemia based on flow cytometric analysis and myeloperoxidase cytochemical staining.

Results: The fast blue procedure yielded a significantly higher median percentage of ALP-positive blasts (48%) than the BCIP/NBT (46%) or fast red (42%) procedure despite similar median staining intensities. The proportion of samples that would have been classified as ALP-positive was similar (40/54 fast blue, 39/54 BCIP/NBT, and 37/54 fast red).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that the three procedures can be used interchangeably for determining ALP activity in blasts of dogs with leukemia.

Background: The Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi ) is an endangered species of lizard endemic to Grand Cayman Island. The cytochemical staining characteristics, cell morphometrics, and ultrastructure have not been reported for blood from this species.

Objectives: The objectives for this blue iguana blood cell study were to perform routine and cytochemical staining, document morphometric measurements, and identify structures using bright-field (BF), differential interference contrast (DIC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Methods: Opportunistic blood samples were collected from one captive adult male blue iguana housed at the Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee, WI, USA, during three routine health exams. CBCs, biochemistry panels, cytochemical staining (leukocyte acid phosphatase [AcP] with and without tartrate, alkaline phosphatase [ALP], alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase [ANAE], leukocyte peroxidase [LEP], periodic acid-Schiff [PAS], Sudan black B [SBB], and Toluidine blue [TB]) were performed.

Results: CBCs and biochemistry panel results were within range for a healthy captive adult male blue iguana. The cytochemical reactions were determined. The basophils, erythrocytes, heterophils, monocytes, and thrombocytes reacted positively to PAS. Only the heterophils had positive reactions to ALP, SBB, and LEP. Basophils were positive to TB. Monocytes and thrombocytes stained positive for AcP. Red blood cell cytoplasmic inclusions held stain with ANAE, AcP, PAS, and TB. The morphology and ultrastructure of blue iguana blood cells were documented using BF, DIC, SEM, and TEM.

Conclusion: All of the microscopic and staining methods allowed for improved differentiation of cell types and characteristics. The results may serve as a reference for any study of blood cells in other reptile species.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small, non-coding RNAs that play a crucial role in gene regulation, making them potential biomarkers for various diseases. In the field of veterinary medicine, there is a growing interest in exploring the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of miRNAs in kidney diseases affecting dogs and cats. This review focuses on the use of urinary miRNAs as biomarkers for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in these companion animals. We introduce miRNAs, their biogenesis, and their presence in biofluids, particularly within exosomes, and discuss studies investigating miRNAs in kidney tissue and urine. We acknowledge the challenges associated with miRNA studies, including preanalytical factors such as biological variation, sample collection/processing, storage conditions, and experimental design. We highlight the importance of technical considerations, such as sample pooling, sequencing depth, multiplexing, and the various steps of the miRNA experimental workflow. Furthermore, we discuss RNA isolation methods, small RNA sequencing data analysis, and the use of quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and droplet digital PCR for verification. We emphasize the importance of internal controls, spike-ins, and normalization methods to minimize technical variation and ensure reliable results in qRT-PCR analysis. This review concludes that while urinary miRNAs hold promise as non-invasive biomarkers for CKD in dogs and cats, addressing the challenges and standardization of protocols is vital for the successful translation of this research into clinical practice.

Background: Pleural effusion (PE) in cats can result from transudative or exudative processes. Transudates are caused by decreased colloid osmotic pressure (↓COP) or elevated hydrostatic pressure (↑HP) gradient, while exudates arise from increased pleural capillary permeability. Diagnostic classification approaches traditionally rely on pleural effusion total protein (TP_PE) and total nucleated cell counts (TNCC_PE). In contrast, Light's criteria employing pleural effusion lactate dehydrogenase (LDH_PE), LDH_PE divided by serum LDH (LDH_ratio), and pleural effusion to serum protein ratio (TP_ratio) are more accurate than classification based on TP_PE/TNCC_PE in humans and show promise in cats.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of TNCC_PE, LDH_PE, LDH_ratio, TP_PE, and TP_ratio in classifying feline PEs in ↑HP-transudates, ↓COP-transudates, or exudates and to compare simplified Light's criteria (which relies solely on LDH_PE) with Light's criteria and existing veterinary classification schemes based on TP_PE and TNCC_PE (named Vet-A and Vet-B).

Methods: Cross-sectional study including 83 client-owned cats with PE.

Results: There were 55 exudates, 28 ↑HP-transudates, and 0 ↓COP-transudates. All the variables analyzed were significantly different between exudates and transudates. Simplified Light's criteria correctly classified 50/55 exudates and 26/28 ↑HP-transudates (sensitivity = 91%, specificity = 93%, accuracy = 92%). Light's criteria correctly identified 55/55 exudates but misclassified 15/28 ↑HP-transudates as exudates (accuracy = 82%). Traditional veterinary schemes showed lower accuracies: Vet-A (57%) and Vet-B (74%). Simplified Light's criteria outperformed Vet-A (p < 0.001) and Vet-B (p = 0.007) and trended higher than Light's criteria (p = 0.096).

Conclusions: Simplified Light's criteria demonstrate excellent diagnostic accuracy, outperforming traditional veterinary classification schemes.